Jan Sawka

Art Brokerage: Jan Sawka Polish Artist: b. 1946-2012. Jan Sawka was a Polish-born American artist and architect. In 1946, Sawka was born to an architect father and linguist mother, Jan and Maria Sawka, in the Silesian city of Zabrze. Sawka completed two master's degrees: in painting and print-making from the Wrocław Fine Arts Academy and in Architectural Engineering from the Institute of Technology in Wrocław. By his late 20s, Sawka was a star of the famed Polish Poster School and a leading artist of the counter-culture. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he became known in Poland for the posters and stage sets that he designed for avant-garde theater groups. He largely was able to avoid trouble with censors until his work begin to be noticed by foreign art critics, who commented on the hidden anti-authoritarian elements in his art. His oppositionist activities led to his exile from Poland in 1976. When he immigrated to New York in 1977, he had no money and he was unheard of in the United States. After 1977, he resided in New York, becoming part of the American cultural mainstream. Early in his time in the United States, Sawka created editorial drawings for the New York Times, while developing a multi-faceted career that encompassed printmaking, painting, sculpture, and theater design. Numerous galleries have exhibited his paintings and prints, and he designed for such theaters as the Harold Clurman, Jean Cocteau Repertory and Samuel Beckett Theater. His awards have included the 1975 Oscar de la Peinture in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France for painting and the Gold Medal at the 1978 Warsaw Poster Biennial. In 1985, Sawka opened a series of one-man art exhibitions in New York City. The size and scope were unusual for an artist, and the success he had achieved in the eight years since his arrival from Poland was also unusual. In 1989, Sawka designed a 10-story tall set for The Grateful Dead's 25th Anniversary tour. He continued to work with the band for the remainder of his life, including "The Voyage", a collaboration with drummer Mickey Hart. As an artist, Sawka insisted on controlling his artistic vision and refused to work with art dealers who wanted him to work in a particular style. His work was unusually diverse and didn't neatly fit within any genres or trends. Sawka himself had no idea what his style should be called. His work has been described as an alternative to Neo-Expressionists such as Julian Schnabel. Listings wanted.