Thick Yellowish , from the series “Vulgar Realism”

The paintings from the “Vulgar Realism” series were made on the basis of police files concerning suspects for whom a warrant of arrest had been issued. This time, the artist’s interest in the motif of a portrait in painting focused on “losing face.” Publishing portraits of people suspected of committing a crime not only deprives them of their right to privacy but also “takes away their faces.”
One of the portrayed criminals was given the nickname Thick by the artist, which sounds similar to real criminals’ monikers that we know from the press. The eponymous “yellowish” is an apt description of the colour of the background, which is intended to soften the crudeness of the police photographs. Yellow makes the criminal’s image warmer. An aggressive face devoid of any emotion gradually becomes somewhat softer. The gallery of portraits is accompanied by a bench in the middle of the room, which enables the viewer to “contemplate” these rather ungentlemanly faces.