Documents

The activities of Robert Kuśmirowski are a systematically carried out formula of discovering and reconstructing the past, as well as a nostalgic return to the value attributed to that which is the past. The artist does not, however, attempt to be an archeologist who meticulously studies the testimonies of the past. Though he does use original objects sometimes, he is more inclined to manufacture his own, perfectly imitating the world of historical artifacts. The documents, photographs, or the large scale objects – such as a train car, a well, or tombstones – all look very authentic, though some are actually fakes.

It is difficult to say whether Documents are perfect imitations or a perfect mystification. It should be remembered, however, that Kuśmirowski does not copy anything literally. The documents he “produces” have no originals, hence they are neither copies nor forgeries. The artist adapts old patterns, makes paper look old, reconstructs the type, seals and traces of damage. His craftsmanship and knowledge of materials are exceptional, making the task much easier for him. For Kuśmirowski, however, achieving the effect of patina and misleading illusion is not an objective in itself, thus his technical excellence should be seen as nothing more than a tool.

The attitude of the artist bears symptoms of historicism, both in terms of the faithful reconstruction of details, as well as the fact of resorting to the convention of times past. There are many such returns to history in culture, if only to recall Romanticism, and each was very deeply rooted in the now. The artist’s dialogue with the past is also a dialogue with the present. His works reverberate with the myth of the “better” past. Kuśmirowski uncovers the mastery of things forgotten – the typography of banknotes and the calligraphic finesse of diplomas – thus signaling its absence in the reality around us. By creating anachronistic works which are incompatible with modern circumstances, he emphasizes the constant changes in the culture of life.

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