WŁADYSŁAW MIRECKI
Solo Exhibition of new work at Chappel Galleries “
just as it is
”
1st to 30th March, 2014
Extended hours for the duration of the exhibition: open every day 10am to 5pm
Apply for free printed exhibition book. Click here to see virtual book.

Scroll on for images, essay and CV... |
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Where enquiries of prices are
made on the gallery, the work is subject to availability
and the price to change.
Loveneys,
Watercolour, 2013, 68 x 78 cms SOLD
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Autumn
Watercolour 2013
50 x 75 cms
SOLD
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Bacon’s Lane Barn
Watercolour 2013
56 x 100 cms |

Boardwalk and Boats, Tollesbury
Watercolour 2013
75 x 75 cms |

Chappel Viaduct
Watercolour 2012
150 x 100 cms |

Cornfield Watercolour 2013 56 x 75 cms SOLD |

Fishing Lake
Watercolour 2013
52.5 x 35 cms
SOLD
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Fishing Lake II
Watercolour 2013
52.5 x 35 cms |

Gas Holder, Lavenham
Watercolour 2013
55.5 x 74 cms
SOLD
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Hawthorn Watercolour 2013 75 x 50 cms
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Hogweed and Willow Herb
Watercolour 2013
160 x 40 cms
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Lightship, Tollesbury
Watercolour 2013
65 x 45 cms |

Link Span, Harwich Pier
Watercolour 2013
70 x 75 cms |

Lone Walker, Sunset
Watercolour 2013
30 x 45 cms
SOLD
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Loveneys
Watercolour 2013
68 x 87 cms
SOLD
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Mary Jane, North Norfolk
Watercolour 2013
40 x 60 cms
SOLD
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Old Hall Farm, Wakes Colne
Watercolour 2013
42.5 x 100 cms |

Public Footpath
Watercolour 2013
34 x 22.5 cms
SOLD
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Salthouse, North Norfolk
Watercolour 2013
30 x 45 cms
SOLD |

Skirting the Puddle, Chalkney Woods
Watercolour 2013
68 x 45 cms
SOLD
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St Peter and St Paul, Lavenham
Watercolour 2013
75 x 50 cms |
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Stairwell Little Hall Museum, Lavenham
Watercolour 2013
53 x 36 cms
SOLD
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The Gainsborough Line
Watercolour 2013
75 x 55 cms
SOLD
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Thornfield Wood
Watercolour 2012
38 x 55 cms |

To the Beach, Walton
Watercolour 2013
75 x 50 cms
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Tollesbury Seawall
Watercolour 2013
18 x 50 cms
SOLD
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Walberswick Pier and Moon
Watercolour 2013
45 x 30 cms
SOLD |

Walton Beach
Watercolour 2013
62 x 100 cms |

Water’s Edge, Walberswick
Watercolour 2013
30 x 45 cms
SOLD
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Wheelie Bin, Walton
Watercolour 2013
80 x 100 cms |

Wood Anemones
Watercolour 2013
50 x 75 cms
SOLD
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Wood Pile, Hoe Wood
Watercolour 2013
85 x 71 cms |

Early Spring in Chalkney Woods
Watercolour 2014
50 x 75 cms |

River Colne, Winter
Watercolour 2013
60 x 40 cms
SOLD
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Humpty Back Bridge from the Humpty Back Bridge
Watercolour 2013
40 x 60 cms |

Black Barn and Viaduct
Watercolour 2013
50 x 75 cms
SOLD |
WŁADYSŁAW MIRECKI
1956 Born Chelmsford, Essex of Polish parentage.
He is self-taught, having painted all his life including his periods gaining his
science degree, as an industrial designer and co-proprietor of Chappel
Galleries (1986 - March 2010). |
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EXHIBITED |
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New English Art Club, Mall Galleries, London
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Epping Forest District Museum “Artists in Essex”
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Beecroft Art Gallery, Westcliffe on Sea, Essex 31st Open Exhibition
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Chappel Galleries, Essex Solo Exhibition
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Foyles Art Gallery, London
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Department of Transport art Competition, Mall Galleries, London
Deuxieme Salon Biennale de L’Aquarelle, Hirson, France (Chelmsford 1993)
Essex County Council, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Essex Commission
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Chappel Galleries, Essex10th Anniverary Exhibition: Solo Exhibition
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Singer and Friedlander, Sunday Times Exhibition, London
Beecroft Art Gallery, Essex: Open Exhibition
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1999 |
Jiangsu Provincial Art Gallery, Nanjing, China: Solo Exhibition
Chappel Galleries, Essex Solo Exhibition |
2002 |
Chappel Galleries, Essex Blyth Spirit “Walberswick Artists: 1880–2000” |
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Chappel Galleries, Essex Solo Exhibition
WH Pattersons, London Christmas Mixed Exhibition
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Royal Academy, London Summer Exhibition
WH Pattersons, London Christmas Mixed Exhibition
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Chappel Galleries, Essex Solo Exhibition
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Royal Watercolour Society Open Competition, Bankside Gallery, London.
Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, Mall Galleries, London.
Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition Mall Galleries, London: Winner of the Edward Wesson Award.
Beecroft Art Gallery, Westcliffe on Sea, Essex 49th Essex Open Exhibition: Awarded Prize and Shirley Robson Bowl for the best watercolour.
Chappel Galleries, Essex ‘Southwold, the East Coast’.
Sunday Times/Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander, London: 3rd Prize Winner, The Mall Galleries, London.
Lynn Painter-Stainers, London.
Chichester Open Art Exhibition, Chichester.
Royal West of England Academy 155th Autumn Exhibition, Bristol.
New English Art Club, The Mall Galleries, London.
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RWS/Sunday Times watercolour competition, Bankside Gallery, London
Lynn Painters-Stainers, London (third prize winner) |
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Chappel Galleries, Essex Solo Exhibition
Lynn Painter-Stainers, London |
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Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours 198 Annual Exhibition, London
Eastern Open, King’s Lynn Arts Centre
Sunday Times Watercolour Competition 23rd Year (2nd Prize Winner), Mall Galleries, London
Duncan Campbell Fine Art, London: Solo Exhibition
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Work on loan for opening of new branch of Handelsbanken, Colchester
Sunday Times Watercolour Competition in association with Smith and Williamson: The Mall Galleries, London
Discerning Eye Exhibition: The Mall Galleries, London 10-20 November
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Piers Feetham Gallery, London: Solo Exhibition
Lynn Painter Stainers Exhibition, London
Chappel Galleries, Essex: Solo Exhibition
Norwich Castle Open Art Show
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Chelmsford Borough Museum: Two Man Exhibition with Paul Rumsey, 9th February to 21st April.
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Studio Eleven, Westcliff on Sea, Essex: ‘Kiss the Joy’ mixed exhibition.
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Royal Society of British Artists, Annual Exhibition: The Mall Galleries, London.
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March 1st-30th ‘…just as it is…’ Chappel Galleries, Essex: Solo Exhibition.
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COLLECTIONS |
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Jiangsu Province Art Museum, People’s Republic of China
Jiangsu Province Department of Culture, People’s Republic of China
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Chelmsford Museums, Essex
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Ipswich Borough Council Museums & Galleries, Suffolk
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Colchester and Ipswich Museums (on behalf of Colchester Borough Council)
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PUBLICATIONS |
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February Edition, Jiangsu Art Monthly
April Edition, Artists & Illustrators Magazine
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2003 |
A Walk in the Country – 32pp Monograph |
2006 |
“Southwold: An Earthly Paradise” by Geoffrey Munn.
Władysław Mirecki at Fifty – 32pp Monograph.
BBC Television Programme: ‘Seven Man-made Wonders of the East’ interview about Chappel Viaduct, showing Mirecki’s paintings depicting the Viaduct. |
2009 |
‘On My Doorstep’: Introduction by Laura Gascoigne published by Chappel Galleries, Essex.
The Spectator “Winter Fine Arts” by Andrew Lambirth November issue.
Jackdaw Magazine “Easel Words” May/June issue.
The Artist Magazine, “Masterclass” November issue.
Pratique des Arts magazine France, December issue. |
2010 |
Duncan Campbell exhibition brochure: Introduction by Andrew Lambirth, art critic of The Spectator. |
2012 |
Jackdaw Magazine page 36: News 'That Beckam Tattoo'
'Closely Observed' Landscape - East Anglia and Beyond: Introduction by Andrew Wilton published by Piers Feetham Gallery, London.
Lynn Painter Stainers catalogue page 11 ‘Holme Valley, Yorkshire’.
‘Around and About: Introduction by David Lee editor of ‘Jackdaw’ published Chappel Galleries, Essex. |
2014 |
‘
just as it is
’ Introduction by Mark Curteis, Curator Chelmsford Museum, published by Chappel Galleries, Essex. |
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I first encountered Mirecki’s work through a professional happenstance – as the newly appointed Curator of Social History and Art at Chelmsford Museum I was exploring the art in the collections and I was struck by two watercolours - Dooley’s Field and The Parapet, Chappel Viaduct 1998 both by Władysław Mirecki. My attention was drawn by the subject matter as, although I work in Chelmsford, I live on the Essex/Suffolk border and the viaduct is a prominent local landmark. I was then struck by the feel of the work, attention to detail and his honest representation of his subject matter. Władysław (or Waj to those who know him) really captures the essence and sense of place in his work - both things that I think are essential in landscape painting.
In 2013 the museum put on a major temporary exhibition of Mirecki’s work, titled Light and Dark, it juxtaposed Mirecki’s work showing light and life with more dark and gothic themes by Paul Rumsey. The exhibition enabled me to get to know Waj, see more of his work, and get an insight into the meaning and thought processes that produced the work.
It is clear that the East Anglian landscape greatly inspires him and it is present in his new exhibition in all its forms, beaches at sunset with the setting sun reflected on the foreshore (‘Lone Walker, Sunset’), desolate estuaries, woodland glades, lakes and verdant fields.
He works exclusively in water colour with a detailed technique. Self-taught, Waj makes his own rules, which is perhaps why there is so much vitality and honesty in his work. He enjoys the uneasy alliance between the natural and the man-made: a tarmac road junction turned into a beautiful composition with the sun dappled grey on tarmac in the foreground against the lush blues, greens and purples behind (‘Loveneys’). Only Waj would put in the patched tarmac: perfectly capturing present day reality for future generations as it is, because its there, but still making it beautiful. There is often obvious humour, for example, a gas holder to counterpoint the picture postcard perfection of Lavenham (‘Gas Holder, Lavenham’) or a well executed stairwell and landing representing the historic timber framed Little Hall (‘Stairwell, Little Hall Museum, Lavenham’). Indeed, the insistence of the banal and the modern as unavoidable intruders into our appreciation of nature is a hallmark of his work.
Waj deliberately uses bold elements in some of his paintings which sometimes appear not to conform to conventional principles of composition. The result initially feels uneasy to the viewer. Then you stop and look. For example, he will put a barbed wire fence in ‘Fishing Lake’ while in ‘Hogweed and willow herb’, the hogweed stands alone, forlorn, before the lush vegetation and colour of the willow herb. The hogweed initially looks out of place, not allowing the work to have that ‘picture perfect’ sense. He obviously wants to draw the viewer in by arresting their attention to what at first glance is a beautifully rendered image that somehow doesn’t seem quite right – then as the viewer stops he is drawn in to the detail, the composition, the subject matter – which reveals itself almost layer by layer. It is almost impossible to walk past one of his paintings – the viewer is compelled to stop and see what he has done and only then will the picture begin to reveal its secrets and make sense until finally, on the hogweed, you observe the small hover fly on the flower.
In water colours like ‘Link Span, Harwich Pier’ and ‘Walberswick Pier and moon’ one appreciates the subtlety of Mirecki's work; and one can almost smell and feel the sea through gently breaking waves or gentle rivulets of water on the mud flats at low tide. The seascapes, estuarine mud flats and grasses take on the warm light hues of a summer sunset or moonlit night. Mirecki captures their atmospheres beautifully, imbuing such works with a sense of peace, and inviting reflection.
Waj’s use of light is masterful. From a bright spring morning, to dusk on an estuary, you can feel the day he has painted – you know exactly the temperature, the feel of the wind, the colour of the sky. You don’t just look at his paintings – you experience them.
There are several views capturing the beauty and tranquility of Chalkney Woods, particularly known for its wood anemones, local to the Mireckis and (along with the viaduct) a common theme for inspiration in his work. In ‘Skirting the Puddle’ we see Edna (Waj’s wife and co-proprietor of the Chappel Galleries) on a bleak winter’s afternoon walking down a muddy woodland track. Here one can almost imagine being there, the smell of mud and damp decaying leaves….thinking of being home by a warm fire. The reflections in the puddle show the artist’s skill of accurate portrayal, the reflections of trees and sky perfectly rendered on the mirror surface.
Of course, no exhibition would be complete without Mirecki's beloved viaduct rising from the earth; a masterly feat of engineering and design. Surrounded by trees, lush foliage and grasses the painting eloquently expresses nature's relationship with the manmade. When it works, as it does here, it really works.
This exhibition represents the sort of quality painting one might expect from Waj. More importantly it captures and celebrates our superb English (East Anglian) countryside. Enjoy!
Dr Mark Curteis
Curator of Social History and Art, Chelmsford Museum
January 2014 |
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