Jozef Halas (1927 - 2015), Untitled 1960 - 1970

gouache, paper, 85 x 60 cm



Artist, painter, classic of 20th century Polish art belonging to the Arsenal generation, mentioned together with Stanisław Fijałkowski, Stefan Gierowski or Jerzy Nowosielski, unparalleled colorist. In 1949 he moved to Wroclaw where he began his studies at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in the studio of Eugeniusz Geppert, receiving his diploma in 1954.The period of studies in Halas' work is primarily the first significant experiments with color and painting structure. The influence of Waldemar Cwenarski, Tadeusz Makowski and Paul Klee is evident in these first works. In 1956, he founded Group X, bringing together artists from the local visual arts community. In 1958-2001, he was associated with teaching work with the State Higher School of Visual Arts (a break in 1962-1967-teacher at the High School of Visual Arts in Wroclaw), where he created the Department of General Plastic Education at the Faculty of Interior Design and Plastic Design. In 1984-1985 he served as pro-rector of the Academy of Fine Arts, and in 1985 he took over the Chair of Painting at the Faculty of Painting and Sculpture. In 1990 he was awarded the title of full professor.