ROMAN NOWOTARSKI - ABOUT ME
It seems that every art has always had connections with reality, particularly due to its form. The creator lives at a specific time and in a specific place, he can look ahead or talk about the past, but what counts first of all is the power of expression, what he would like to talk about, surprise with and his own stamp left in it. Many wise people discussed art but only few created it and was able to express oneself through masterpiece. Having played the concert or painted the picture the creator has nothing more to say, unless it is the next masterpiece.What emotions he experienced and how he selected sounds and painting matter, how he built his world to make the world more real, more human, we can only speculate.
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BIOGRAPHY
Roman Nowotarski was born on 8 August 1931 in south-east borders of Poland in the town of Vorokhta, the heart of Hutsul land, between Gorgany and Charnohora. At the outbreak of World War II, after 17 September 1939 the family lives under Soviet occupation, and later in the summer of 1941 falls under German occupation to yet again by the end of the war have fallen under Soviet occupation. They were repressed by NKVD, Gestapo and then NKVD again. During the Soviet occupation they were hiding away from a compulsory resettling to Siberia because Roman's father - Tadeusz, together with his brother Kazimierz had taken part in the Polish-Ukrainian conflict of 1918-1919 and later in the Polish-Soviet war of 1919-1921. In 1943, during the German occupation, Tadeusz, the father, is arrested for his activity in the Home Army and sent to death camp in Auschwitz, where he is transferred to penal colony and later sent to concentration camp Mauthausen-Gusen, where he works in the quarry. As one of not many survivors, already considered dead by the family, he emerges as an emigre and for 20 years serves as an American soldier in the forces located in Western Europe. Towards the end of the war, deprived of the right to return to the country, his two other brothers, Zygmunt and Gabriel and their sister Zofia - lieutenant of the Home Army are arrested by NKVD and sent to the heartland of the Soviet Union. They go through all the stages of brutal interrogations and torture; from Lubianka torture chambers through Solovetsky Islands to lagers of Kolyma and Magadan, eventually. Zofia manages an incredible escape and comes back to the country. Out of the two remaining brothers, Zygmunt dies of cygna, while Gabriel comes back to Poland in mid-1950s, after the death of Stalin, during the so-called Polish thaw.
Left alone during the German occupation, the mother of Roman, Helena, with his older brother, Jerzy, wander among villages and towns, escaping cold-blooded, planned and brutally executed extermination of Polish population of the south-eastern borders of pre-WWII Poland by the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) with its armed force - Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Expelled by the Russians and Ukrainians from Jamnica, where the father had been a stationmaster, they are staying in Stanislawów. After the Germans move in and the father is arrested in 1942, the mother with the kids escapes to her family in Korniów, later through Seminówka they go to Horodenka, only to end their wander ing again at the father's family in Stanislawów. That is where they met the end of the war. From there as expatriates-deportees they come in 1945 to Upper Silesia, to Zabrze, where both brothers instantly join scouting. They remain active members until 1948. The older brother, Jerzy, is arrested by Public Security (UB) for his activity in secret organization Association of Polish Youth.
Left alone during the German occupation, the mother of Roman, Helena, with his older brother, Jerzy, wander among villages and towns, escaping cold-blooded, planned and brutally executed extermination of Polish population of the south-eastern borders of pre-WWII Poland by the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) with its armed force - Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Expelled by the Russians and Ukrainians from Jamnica, where the father had been a stationmaster, they are staying in Stanislawów. After the Germans move in and the father is arrested in 1942, the mother with the kids escapes to her family in Korniów, later through Seminówka they go to Horodenka, only to end their wander ing again at the father's family in Stanislawów. That is where they met the end of the war. From there as expatriates-deportees they come in 1945 to Upper Silesia, to Zabrze, where both brothers instantly join scouting. They remain active members until 1948. The older brother, Jerzy, is arrested by Public Security (UB) for his activity in secret organization Association of Polish Youth.
"Bandit, son of a bandit" - that is what he was called by the prosecutor in the courtroom. After a violent interrogation and some time spent in the department of Public Security Office (MBP) in Zabrze he is saved a prison sentence. There is an amnesty, he is under age and had had previously clean disciplinary record. However he remains under surveillance and threat from Public Security and later from the Security Service (SB) for years.
Roman spends his free time and holidays at his family in Klodzko and in nearby Radków with the sister of his father - Zofia. She is the wife of Leon Estreicher, the head of the local hospital, whose brother, Karol Estreicher - great connoisseur and historian of art - seeing the works, teenage enthusiasm and talent of young Roman, advises him to take up studies in the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. At the same time, Roman "serves time" in compulsory social work at the pit face in "Makoszowy" Coal Mine and in the compulsory work camp of the paramilitary youth organisation - Service for Poland in Gdynia-Chylonia, where he repairs railway tracks. After graduating from high school he is called in for a military service, which is paradoxically fortunate as it helps him escape getting arrested: the Public Service (UB) set up a trap in his scouting friend's home. The friend - Leszek Sliwinski - was a member of the diversion squad "Kalina" in independent scouting
organisation "Kraj". He was known for being one of the men to have performed capital punishment on the author of the pro-Soviet, propaganda radio programme "Fala 49". In the army, among other allocations, Roman serves as an air gunner/radio operator on Ilyushin Il-2 planes.
Roman spends his free time and holidays at his family in Klodzko and in nearby Radków with the sister of his father - Zofia. She is the wife of Leon Estreicher, the head of the local hospital, whose brother, Karol Estreicher - great connoisseur and historian of art - seeing the works, teenage enthusiasm and talent of young Roman, advises him to take up studies in the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. At the same time, Roman "serves time" in compulsory social work at the pit face in "Makoszowy" Coal Mine and in the compulsory work camp of the paramilitary youth organisation - Service for Poland in Gdynia-Chylonia, where he repairs railway tracks. After graduating from high school he is called in for a military service, which is paradoxically fortunate as it helps him escape getting arrested: the Public Service (UB) set up a trap in his scouting friend's home. The friend - Leszek Sliwinski - was a member of the diversion squad "Kalina" in independent scouting
organisation "Kraj". He was known for being one of the men to have performed capital punishment on the author of the pro-Soviet, propaganda radio programme "Fala 49". In the army, among other allocations, Roman serves as an air gunner/radio operator on Ilyushin Il-2 planes.
When the service comes to an end he attempts to start his academic education. He takes exams to the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow with success and becomes a student in the class of prof. Jan Dutkiewicz, prof. Leon Dolzycki and prof. Rafal Pomorski. He graduates from the Chair of Graphic Arts of the academy in Katowice in 1959· For one year he works in High School of Fashion Design in Katowice, but he gets dismissed for refusing to join the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR). In 1960 he enters into marriage that will bring him his children: daughter Iwona and son Tadeusz. From 1962 he works as a teacher of drawing in Vocational Teacher Training College in Katowice. Apart from his "day" job, he concentrates on his artistic work. From the early 1960s till the imposition of martial law in 1981, together with Jurek Malitowski and Edward Molek, he co-creates Gliwice Theatre operating at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice. He receives many awards for his scenography and staging on festivals in Poland and abroad: in Oxford, Amsterdam, Zagreb. He is especially satisfied with the scenography to the following performances: "Spring" by Bruno Schultz, "Factory of the Absolute" by Karel Capek, "Travellers" with his own screenplay and scenography, "Twilight" by Isaac Babel, "Blood-bathed Russia" by Artiom Viesioly and "Modern Nativity Play" - by his friend from the youth - Ireneusz Iredynski. Most of these performances were Polish premieres. He also co-creates scenography to a film by Andrzej Kondratiuk titled "Scorpio, Virgo and Sagittarius" and works with Ryszard Waska on his short films, later awarded a prize at a festival in Brussels. He is a member of the Arkat group formed in 1964 joining part of the Silesian artistic community, with whom he takes part in many enterprises, actions and exhibitions, including one in Zachta Gallery in Warsaw.
From 1974 he starts working as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow - Chair of Graphic Art in Katowice, the studio of drawing and painting. He gets further academic degrees; when he becomes a docent his academic work is reviewed by a giant of Polish painting - prof. Tadeusz Brzozowski. Another famous Polish painter, prof. Jerzy Nowosielski was also in the commission, and the whole process was extremely quick. After the commission had seen his paintings, without being asking any further questions he received his academic degree. Then in 1990 he be comes an associate professor and later in 1994 re ceives his full professorship - his academic work was at the time reviewed by a famous historian of art, prof. Maria Rzepinska.
From 1974 he starts working as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow - Chair of Graphic Art in Katowice, the studio of drawing and painting. He gets further academic degrees; when he becomes a docent his academic work is reviewed by a giant of Polish painting - prof. Tadeusz Brzozowski. Another famous Polish painter, prof. Jerzy Nowosielski was also in the commission, and the whole process was extremely quick. After the commission had seen his paintings, without being asking any further questions he received his academic degree. Then in 1990 he be comes an associate professor and later in 1994 re ceives his full professorship - his academic work was at the time reviewed by a famous historian of art, prof. Maria Rzepinska.
Besides his teaching work, he devotes himself to his artistic endeavours, which have always been of biggest importance for him. He presents his paintings on many exhibitions in Poland and abroad: in Austria, Switzerland, Berlin, Bratislava, Istanbul, Paris, Washington, London, Tokyo and during the largest art fair in the world - Art Basel. He is a winner of many awards and distinctions including the Kunio Myiauchi Prize in the National Painting Competition "Polish Impressions" organised by the Polish-Japanese Foundation. He wins Grand Prix in the National Painting Competition "Bielska Jesien" (Autumn in Bielsko) and the main award for his ecological poster "Chirp, chirp, chirp behind the chimney" during the International Poster Biennial in Katowice. His works can be found in many Polish museums -National Museum in Warsaw, National Museum in Krakow, Municipal Museum in Lodz, Silesian Museum, Municipal Museum in Zabrze and in private collections in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, the United States, Japan and the Republic of South Africa. With his son he co-authors a series of joined exhibitions in Poland and abroad called "Journeys - Totemenhirs". He has always valued cooperation with his student and longstanding assistant - Roman Kalarus. Together they formed an unforgettable and completely unique duo, adored by their students. He is also no stranger to music. As a longstanding friend and guest, he oftentimes performed in the legendary "Piwnica pod Baranami" cabaret in Krakow, where he sung his ballads, to which he writes both music and lyrics.
Son, Tadeusz
Son, Tadeusz