Fallen Angel

A panel set in a plaster frame painted with gold paint, with a corner ornament. Władysław Hasior, using everyday objects, broken dolls, glass vessels, tree branches, scraps of fabric, wires and many other elements, composed assemblages, thanks to which his artistic activity was not only a creative but also an intellectual provocation. The artist believed that the elements he used had the ability to suggest specific content, while at the same time he created a personal mystery of objects. In some of them, such as bread, soap or a candle, one can also seek symbolic, philosophical and even religious-spiritual meanings. In 2014 an exhibition of the sculptor's works was held at the MOCAK in Kraków; in its catalogue one can even find a personal dictionary of visual symbols with meanings assigned to them. The angel is listed there as a symbol of benign, Christian indifference. This figure appears in Władysław Hasior's work from the 1960s; Andrzej Banach links it with the artist's wartime experiences. The fact remains, however, that in the documentation, slides, photographs and press cuttings collected by the artist, the figure of a winged being or an angel occupies a significant place. Today the Tatra Museum in Zakopane and the Municipal Art Centre in Gorzów Wielkopolski can boast their own galleries of Władysław Hasior's works.