Overall, I am working on some form of guided improvisation. I often start from an idea of composition, or from a “plastic fact” or even from a pretext and I try to find a whole which is both coherent and heterogeneous.
My “way” of painting has been greatly influenced by the methods of jazzmen I have had the chance to work with. They taught me that improvised creation is not a total letting go but rather a perpetual tension between a stable structure and a welcome of the moment, of the unexpected. In short, I aim to situate myself between the rule and immediate sensation. I would like to paint without barriers, but for that, I place markers around which I can gravitate.
2020
Old plans of plastic factories found by chance become the starting point of his approach: geometric and structured compositions are upset by external elements (drawings, collages) which disturbs the harmony.
Between research and improvisation, Toma Jankowski summons what he calls “fragments” of materials. Patterns, signs and numbers will gradually emerge on the wooden planks he uses as a support. His primary desire is not to be in pure meaning but rather to draw from classic references and use them as pretexts for creation.
Greek anatomies with the most classic craftsmanship are undermined by fragments of the contemporary world: scraps of advertising and cinema posters give free rein to painting and drawing.
Each work by Toma Jankowski is full of elements that allow us to see and think. Like a puzzle missing key pieces, it is now up to the viewer to build and complete his own story.
At the junction between painting and drawing, Toma Jankowski has been exploring the possi- bility of an «open» creation. Deeply influenced by jazz music and free improvisation, he likes to play with chaotic forms and complex patterns. His work is as much about drawing for the re- transcription of an idea as about painting for the choice of the materials. After studying design, he decides to start explo- ring the possibilities of improvisation by pain- ting. He actively collaborates with an artistic group, the Musical Activity Zone, which explores the improvisation prac- tices. Looking for a lucky chance, his work aims to depict an ever-changing world and question the painterly process as a sensitive experience.
