The Grey Man and the Secret He Is Holding

monotype about the person no one notices

The Grey Man

This time I want to tell you about a print I titled The Grey Man.

In Polish we say szary człowiek — the grey man — of someone who does not catch the eye, who lives quietly and holds neither power nor fame. Grey is a neutral colour: neither warm nor cold. It suits the ordinary person exactly.

My grey man sits facing the viewer. His head is tilted, as though he wanted to look closely at us — or perhaps at himself. If he were looking at himself, I don't know what conclusions he would come to. To admit to yourself that you are an ordinary man is neither easy nor pleasant. Each of us wants to stand out somehow, to be noticed, and to be valued by others.

I made this work thinking about the ordinary person. I wanted to express my affection for him. And I wanted to uncover his secret.

He is holding that secret. From behind his shoulders something appears — a head, we can guess; the head of another person. He holds it, and seems to want to hide it inside himself, to submerge it in the deep black of his body, which on the outside is grey. An aggressive red surrounds him, and he appears to be defending himself against it.

I have warm feelings for him. He matters to me.

The work is a monotype, made in four individual impressions. Monotype allows no true repetition — what the plate gives up once, it does not give again in the same way, so each of the four is singular. It continues my series of works about the human being.

One question accompanies me constantly: can a human being be expressed through art? Artists have been doing it for centuries. There must be a reason for that.

And you, reader — what do you think?

Write to me at info@malexanderartgallery.com. I read every letter that arrives, and I answer them myself. I am genuinely curious about your opinion — whether you recognise the grey man, whether you would have given him a different secret, or whether you think the question itself is the wrong one to ask.

Once a month I send a letter from the studio here in Boxholm — the story behind a current work, and first sight of new pieces before they appear anywhere else. If you would like it, you can join here.