Today we are in conversation with JAGODA STĄCZEK (J.S.) to find out about her passions and interests in art and life.
ANASPERO:
Hello Jagoda, I'm very glad we have the opportunity to meet again today. I remember seeing your works in Warsaw for the first time and immediately thought that your artworks are suffused with mystery and intrigue. I'm curious - were you interested in art early in your life or was there a specific event that sparked you off?
J.S.: In my family home, art has definitely been present in my life from the very beginning.
My mom graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and Art History, my dad's mom is an incredibly inspiring amateur artist, and my mom's dad had a degree in visual art. My sister creates, my aunt creates, and we are all a very creative, artistic family. It was just always there. I was one of those weird kids who always had a pencil and a piece of paper in my pocket. When I was little, the ability to draw was like a supernatural power. I could create worlds by drawing. When I wanted to be an astronaut, I painted the view from the window of my space ship. When I wanted to be an investigative journalist (you know, 90s movies :)), I drew myself an ID card and laminated it with transparent tape. Back then, that was enough to make it real.
ANASPERO:
Who in your life is an inspiration for you? Is it someone from your close circle or a historical figure or perhaps a character from a book or movie?
J.S.: My grandmother had a powerful influence on my creativity today. Not only her, but also her unlimited, somewhat "wild" imagination, and her house filled with antiques, curiosities and strange paintings had a huge impact on me. I referred a lot to this in the description of my Kunstkamera exhibition at the Ujazdowski Castle. As for facing challenges, I'm more of a softie than a fighter. My
partner is a very motivating and supportive person. I can't name a specific movie or book hero, but consuming content is definitely inspiring, and I like
to feast my senses and stimulate my intellect. Often, after a good read, I feel so many emotions that I have to give them some creative outlet.
ANASPERO:
Does attention to detail have a special significance for you in your professional work? And if so, does the weight given to detail affect how you perceive the art of other artists?
J.S.: Of course, it does, but at the same time, I lament the fact that detail is becoming
increasingly rare: we live faster, create faster, and execute more projects within shorter deadlines. I like to admire the details in Baroque or Renaissance paintings. The glint on a fingernail, lace, a pearly button on a dress. These
are almost physical sensations.
ANASPERO:
Together, we created a collection of ANASPERO
scarves with botanical patterns (BOTANIC collection and ENDEMIC collection).
Please tell us, from your point of view, what was the biggest challenge in creating the designs?
J.S.: I acted here as a pattern designer, not so much as an artist with interpretative
freedom. We used old botanical albums, so I had to make the pattern seem coherent, aesthetic, and some botanic and animal species were very rarely depicted and difficult to find. These searches were challenging, but I must
admit they were also enjoyable.
ANASPERO:
Journalists often ask artists about their sources of
inspiration in the creative process. Could you reveal to us where you draw
inspiration for your projects?
J.S.: The main inspiration is traditional painting. Baroque paintings in rural churches or
Renaissance portraits, which in childhood sparked something akin to fascination mixed with fear in me. All of this infused with a hint of macabre humor, hidden joke, or subtext.
ANASPERO:
Who are your favourite creators and painters throughout history?
J.S.: Incredibly
difficult question. Renaissance classics in general. From other periods, two names come to mind which particularly struck me at first glance. Incredibly
emotional sculptures by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt and animations by Jan Švankmajer.
ANASPERO:
In today's rapidly changing world, where many
artists seek new means of expression, what do you think is the biggest challenge in an artist's work?
J.S.: Originality. We have access to artistic content from all over the world, and these stimuli reach us, almost intrude upon our imagination, and everything starts to become
similar to itself. Thanks to social media, artists can promote themselves and reach audiences on a much larger scale than before. And that's great, but we also reach other artists, those images stay with us, so I try not to look at creators from similar fields.
ANASPERO: In your works, you include many symbolic and abstract elements. Is one of your intentions to stimulate the imagination of your viewers and encourage them to seek hidden meanings and stories behind the created work?
J.S.: I love
playing with meanings, taking something out of its natural environment, changing the context. I love poring over aged, yellowed pages from old newspapers and herbariums. From every trip, I bring back old magazines, fragments of crumbling books, and forgotten photographs, from antiquarian bookstores in a side street and Sunday flea markets. Most collages are created analogously. I physically possess all the scraps in paper form, and my favourite tools are scissors and glue. But I am also open to making digital collages. It is very important to me that they are not just an aesthetic arrangement of elements like arranging a bouquet of flowers. What matters to me is the content they carry. Sometimes it's a playful joke, sometimes it inspires reflection. Generally, I like it when the viewer gets a little itch in their brain or heart. It's wonderful at design fairs when someone looks at, for example, a pattern book and a smile plays on their lips, and I already know they got it, they saw "more."
ANASPERO:
Please tell us, where can we currently see your works, and will it be possible to see them live somewhere in the near future?
J.S.: Feel free
to visit my website and my social media pages. I'm constantly expanding my
KUNSTKAMMER, and I think it will travel with me for some time.
You can find me here
on Instagram: @blueberrythinks and on my website: www.blueberrythinks.pl.
ANASPERO:
Thank you very much for your time and inspiring conversation.
We wish you further success and interesting endeavours.
ANASPERO is a world of silk where art meets elegance and luxury.
