Roman Opalka

Roman Opa?ka was born on 27 August 1931 to Hocquincourt (Sum), of Polish parents.

It follows from 1946 to 1948 a training of lithographer at the school of graphic Walbrzych Nowa Ruda. He continued his studies at the School of Applied Arts in Lodz in Poland, in 1949, and then at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw from 1950 to 1956.

The first backdrop of Opalka begins with the digit 1 inscribed at the top left, then the enumeration graph covers small to small all the format, at the rate of approximately 20,000 signs by canvas. Once the first table completed, Opalka continues on the canvas following and so on. In 1972, it thus reached the figure 1,000,000 . From this date, and to strengthen the impact of its protocol, it undertakes to include to the black paint which serves as the basis for its tables 1% of white paint to each canvas, that he now called ""detail "".

Roman Opa?ka has undertaken two other approaches in this project of artistic life. At the end of each work session, Opalka goes back to his canvas, and supports photo according to the same protocol: tight framework, bright lighting and regular, white background, white shirt, hair who launder, it comes little by little to melt in her canvas, y disparaitre10. This ritual is a way for him to make more visible the physical dimension and human of his work. When he painted Opalka is recorded on magnetic tape, reading, in Polish, the numbers that he is in the process of painting.

He died in Italy on 6 August 2011, at the age of 79 years.