Hesays,“Manypaintersaresurprisedwhentheylearn
ofmypastelmethod;theythinkthatblackandwhite
willspoilthecolors,butthat’snotthecase.Thecolored
powderrecoverstheblackofthecharcoalandthewhite
ofthechalkand,consequently,thecoloradaptswith
greateraccuracy.”He’sadamantthatblackisn’tdanger-
ousforcolor.Wellused,it participatesintherichnessof
thelight.
Moscickidoesn’thavea strongpreferencefora pastel
brand,explaining,“Everythingisgoodaslongasit
producesthecolor.I thinkthatpastelsticksarejust
pigments,andthetruecolorisbornonthepage.It’sthe
resultofthesubtlemixingofpowder,andit’salways
uniqueandspecifictoeachpainter.”
Toenhancecertaincolorsthathehasalreadyapplied,
Moscickisometimesfinisheswithhigh-endpastelssuch
asGirault,whichofferhuesrichinpigment.
JerzyMoscicki(moscicki.
artistes-cotes.com),of
Lyon,France,teaches
paintingclassesatJBde
LaSalleHighSchool.He
studiedatuniversities
inWroclaw,Poland;
Nancy,France;and
Orleans,France.Hiswork
is representedbyLa
GalerieBellon,inSt.Jean
deMonts,intheVendée
areaofwest-central
France.He’sa member
andmasterpastelistof
theSociétédesPastellistes
deFranceandhas
receivedinternational
recognition,including
servingasoneoffour
instructorsselected
in 2016 toofferpastel
instructiontoChinese
artteachersundera pilot
programorganizedby
theChinaPastelNetwork,
theBeijingEducation
CenterandtheInter-
nationalAsociation
ofPastelSocieties.From Conventional
to Emotional
Moscicki’s painting style has changed over the last 20
years. “At first, I was content to study objects and portray
them in elaborate classical compositions and framing,” he
says. Now, he strives to go further in analyzing his chosen
subject and depict only what’s important to him, shifting
from a conventional approach to a more emotional gaze.
He continues to explore still lifes and interior paintings,
as well as more surrealist pieces, such as Ailleurs (opposite),
which he says are influenced by the work of Salvador Dalí.
The classical tones of Moscicki’s earlier efforts—and
the modern timbre found in his more recent ones—mark
an artistic career rich in texture, variety and a profound
appreciation for the light of the artist’s canvas stage. PJRebecca Dvorak, of New York City, is an arts writer and editor.Le Texto
(19¾x19¾)
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