Ponti Art Gallery is interested in buying and selling works
of art by this artist.
Piotr Uklanski Biography
Piotr Uklański is a contemporary artist whose work spans a variety of media, including installation, photography, film, sculpture, and painting. Born in 1968 in Warsaw, Poland, Uklański's artistic journey began at the Academy of Fine Arts in his hometown, where he studied painting. His quest for a broader artistic education led him to New York, where he furthered his studies in photography at Cooper Union, earning his Masters in Fine Arts in 1995.
Uklański's work is characterized by its engagement with cultural clichés and the spectacle of modern art. He often takes familiar and sometimes sentimental subjects and tropes, embracing and subverting them to create pieces that are both recognizable and unsettling. His art is known for challenging societal views on themes such as death, sex, and political movements, and for its exploration of the intersection between society and media.
One of his earliest and best-known works is "Untitled (Dance Floor)" from 1996, a minimalist grid floor that lights up in response to sound, reminiscent of a disco dance floor. This piece exemplifies Uklański's interest in creating art that is both a functional object and a commentary on cultural phenomena.
Uklański's work has been featured in prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Migros Museum of Contemporary Art in Zurich, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Strasbourg, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. His exhibition history includes solo shows at the BWA Gallery in Sandomierz, the Grodzka Gallery in Lublin, Gavin Brown's Enterprise in New York, and the Photographer's Gallery in London, among others.
Perhaps one of his most controversial works is "The Nazis" from 1998, which consists of movie stills of actors portraying Nazis, altered in a style reminiscent of Andy Warhol's portraits. This work sparked significant debate and highlighted Uklański's ability to provoke and reflect societal attitudes.
In more recent years, Uklański has continued to push boundaries with his "Ottomania" series, which explores cultural appropriation through paintings based on Orientalist imagery. These works, often painted on velvet, question the sincerity of cultural homage and the complexities of cultural exchange. The series was exhibited at Luxembourg & Dayan, where it continued to challenge viewers with its provocative themes and aesthetics.
Uklański's personal life is intertwined with his art; he is married to curator Alison Gingeras, who has also been featured in his work. His "Fatal Attraction: Piotr Uklański Photographs" exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art included a photograph of Gingeras as part of the collection.
Throughout his career, Uklański has maintained a reputation as an art world provocateur, unafraid to tackle controversial subjects or to employ irony and dark humor in his work. His diverse body of work defies easy categorization, and he is known for his lack of a signature style, which keeps viewers and collectors guessing and engaged.
Uklański's approach to art is deeply conceptual, often involving the reuse of existing materials and images to create new meanings and dialogues. His work is a reflection on the nature of art itself, questioning the boundaries between high and low culture, and the role of the artist in a society saturated with images and spectacle.
In addition to his visual art, Uklański has also made his mark in the film industry with "Summer Love," the first Polish spaghetti western, which he wrote and directed in 2006. The film is yet another example of his interest in appropriating and recontextualizing popular genres to create something uniquely his own.
Piotr Uklański continues to live and work between Warsaw and New York, contributing to the global art scene with his challenging and multifaceted works. His art remains a dynamic and critical force, inviting viewers to reconsider their perceptions of culture, history, and the role of art in contemporary society.
Piotr Uklanski Quotes and
Sales of Works
Ponti Art Gallery selects and deals with paintings by the
artist. Upon request, we provide free estimates and
evaluations, communicate prices, quotations, and current
market values.
If you are interested in BUYING or SELLING works by the
artist, contact us immediately.
If you wish to sell or receive an evaluation of the
works:
Send us a frontal photo of the painting, one of the back,
and one of the signature. Also, indicate the dimensions of
the work. Inform us about the purchase origin of the work
and any kind of available documentation (purchase
receipts, certificates of authenticity, publications). One
of our operators will respond to you on the same day. We
guarantee maximum confidentiality and extreme
professionalism.
If you wish to purchase works by the painter: Contact us
and let us know your request. We will inform you about the
available works. We also offer the possibility to
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informed at the beginning of each month about the latest
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