Józef Sękalski
Encyclopedia
Józef Sękalski also known as Josef Sekalski and Juozapas Senkalskis, was a Polish
painter
, printer, etcher
and illustrator
who lived and worked in Scotland
.
, central Poland. He joined the Polish Forces in exile
in the United Kingdom
during World War II
. He remained in St. Andrews, in Fife
, Scotland, after the war, with his partner Roberta Hodges, a painter herself. Sękalski constructed his printing press himself, from the back axle of a car, a tuck box and some odd items and built the machine on the floor of his apartment at 29 North Street St. Andrews. They had their studio in their own home, The Bell Rock House, at St. Andrews Harbour. Along with Alison and Winifred McKenzie and Annabel Kidston, he belonged to the St. Andrews Group of wood engraver
s.
, and taught Graphic Design at the Dundee Institute of Art and Technology
, the later University of Abertay Dundee.
Sękalski illustrated works including A call from Warsaw : an anthology of underground Warsaw poetry (J. Harasowska, 1944). This book was first printed secretly under German occupation in Warsaw
in 1940 and was reprinted by the Polish library in 1942. He also provided wood-cut engravings for St. Andrews: Its Character and Tradition (1951), published by The St. Andrews Preservation Trust, and illustrated F.C. Anstruther's Old Polish Legends (1997).
His work is held by museums and galleries, including the McManus Galleries
in Dundee
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, printer, etcher
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
who lived and worked in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Biography
Sękalski was born in TurekTurek
Turek is a town in central Poland with 29 522 inhabitants . It is the capital of Turek County.Turek is situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship ; it was previously in Konin Voivodeship .-History:...
, central Poland. He joined the Polish Forces in exile
Polish Armed Forces in the West
Polish Armed Forces in the West refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He remained in St. Andrews, in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland, after the war, with his partner Roberta Hodges, a painter herself. Sękalski constructed his printing press himself, from the back axle of a car, a tuck box and some odd items and built the machine on the floor of his apartment at 29 North Street St. Andrews. They had their studio in their own home, The Bell Rock House, at St. Andrews Harbour. Along with Alison and Winifred McKenzie and Annabel Kidston, he belonged to the St. Andrews Group of wood engraver
Wood engraving
Wood engraving is a technique in printmaking where the "matrix" worked by the artist is a block of wood. It is a variety of woodcut and so a relief printing technique, where ink is applied to the face of the block and printed by using relatively low pressure. A normal engraving, like an etching,...
s.
Artistic career
Sękalski taught at Glasgow School of ArtGlasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...
, and taught Graphic Design at the Dundee Institute of Art and Technology
University of Abertay Dundee
The University of Abertay Dundee, usually known simply as Abertay University, is a modern university in Dundee, Scotland.- History :The University of Abertay Dundee was created in 1994, under government legislation granting the title University to the Dundee Institute of Technology...
, the later University of Abertay Dundee.
Sękalski illustrated works including A call from Warsaw : an anthology of underground Warsaw poetry (J. Harasowska, 1944). This book was first printed secretly under German occupation in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in 1940 and was reprinted by the Polish library in 1942. He also provided wood-cut engravings for St. Andrews: Its Character and Tradition (1951), published by The St. Andrews Preservation Trust, and illustrated F.C. Anstruther's Old Polish Legends (1997).
His work is held by museums and galleries, including the McManus Galleries
McManus Galleries
McManus Galleries is a Gothic Revival-style building, located in the centre of Dundee, Scotland. The building houses a museum and art gallery with a collection of fine and decorative art as well as a natural history collection....
in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
.
External links
- Josef Sekalski: Cyril Gerber Fine Art
- Jozef Sekalski Auction Price Results, ArtFact