For 47 years, a Polish artist has been painting just one picture… out of numbers! The meaning of Roman Opalka's life

Mathematics and art have been going hand in hand for many millennia: architecture, music, painting, sculpture… Of course, the most famous of the general public is the use of the golden section in these areas, as the equivalent of harmony and beauty.

Our today’s hero, however, chose natural numbers as a muse for his creativity! Roman Opalka (August 27, 1931 – August 6, 2011) was a French-born Polish painter whose work is mainly related to conceptual art, born August 27, 1931 in Abbeville-Saint-Lucien, France, to a Polish family.

Like many Poles, he was deported to Germany, from where he returned to his historical homeland only in 1946. The young man decided to connect his life with lithography, art and design, for which he received an appropriate education in Lodz and Warsaw.

In 1950 he met his first wife Khalskaya (Alina) Pekarchik

From the very beginning, Opalcu painted monochrome paintings, was fond of the so-called. matter-painting, when the footage for the film was combined with the prepared drawing to create the illusion of an environment that, for some reason, could not be filmed or created with the help of scenery.

It is rarely mentioned that Roman Opalka, in addition to painting, was engaged in the design of posters, postcards, as well as engravings and even tried his hand at sculpture.

Picture from the cycle "Description of the world" — Picture from the cycle “Description of the world”

The turning point in the artist’s life came in 1965, when Roman embarked on his lifelong work “1965/1 to infinity”, for which he painted white numbers in long rows on a black background.

When he ran out of space on one canvas, he continued the series on another.

“[Моя] the hand trembled before the enormity of the task, this small number 1, this radical commitment to the first moment of irreversible time. Opalka once recalled when describing the moment he embarked on his massive project.

For 47 years every day, Opalka inscribed a sequence of numbers starting at one and continuing to infinity on canvases of the same size, 77.17 x 53.15 inches (196 x 135 cm – the size of his workshop door), in white, by hand, brush.

Each of his canvases Opalka called "Detail" and gave her a number, according to the numbers that are depicted on it. The numbers 1243401 - 1246137 are written in the picture above — Each of his canvases Opalka called “Detail” and gave her a number, according to the numbers that are depicted on it. The numbers 1243401 – 1246137 are written in the picture above

Realizing that the time he has on this Earth is far from infinite, Opalka came up with a different way to achieve “zen”.

In 1968, Opalka changed the background to gray, seeing it as a less symbolic color and devoid of emotion, and since 1972 has made the background of the canvas about 1% lighter every year. Thus, he said, “the moment will come when I will paint white on white.”

After each working session in his studio, Roman photographed his face in front of "detail"that he was working on. Each "Detail" accompanied by a tape recording of a voice saying the numbers aloud. — After each working session in his studio, Roman photographed his face in front of the “Detail” he was working on. Each “Detail” is accompanied by a tape recording of a voice saying the numbers aloud.

The artist expected that by the time he reached the number 7777777, he would be drawing white numbers on a white surface, but this happened earlier – in 2008 at around 5.5 million.

Exhibition of works by Opalka at the Dominique Levy Gallery. In 2010, three of his paintings were sold at an international auction at Christie's for $1.3 million. The determination with which Opalka defended his idea was met not only with admiration, but also with criticism. — Exhibition of works by Opalka at the Dominique Levy Gallery. In 2010, three of his paintings were sold at an international auction at Christie’s for $1.3 million. The determination with which Opalka defended his idea was met not only with admiration, but also with criticism.

For example, some Polish critics said that a telephone directory full of numbers was more interesting than the artist’s paintings, criticized Roman for selling unpainted paintings, and so on.

There was more to Roman Opalka’s “Chasing Infinity” than just the numbers he painted on canvas. Although each of its details is the undisputed gem of modern conceptual art, it is their correspondence and the highest purpose of each of the parts that make this whole truly unique.

August 6, 2011 Opalka wrote his last number

Realizing the thought behind painstaking physical work, Opalka stated that “It is important that my last Detail is not finished by me, but by my life.” Having passed away at the age of 79, Opalka entered the history of art, claiming his own, unique place.