Society according to Pawel Kuczynski

  This blog features some of the most potent and thought provoking satirical artwork by Pawel Kuczynski. These paintings displays his social commentary on modern society, using juxtaposition, and satire. They portray important issues/aspects of our society, that are often ignored and inadequately addressed. Pawel's artwork touches on important issues/topics such as, poverty, sexism, classism, alcoholism, animal rights, war, social media, and environmental issues. By creating this blog, I hope that my classmates as well as any others who encounter it, will be forced to question and face some of the worst realities and issues of modern society, that these paintings/pranks depicts. I believe that this blog best replicates the intention of the artist, to raise global awareness, and initiate discussion and action about these important issues affecting our society today. By: Isroy  

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These two paintings by Pawel Kuczynski depicts issues  of poverty an inequality. The first photo represents one privilege child playing with toys that spell the word “apple”,perhaps representing how food is often wasted or played with. The juxtaposition of the less privileged child eating the toy apple, signifies the just how that  child is hungry. 

The second artwork depicting an underclassed individual , using the steps to the ladder of success for a fire to keep warm. Perhaps, the artist is suggesting that while a privileged individual can use  steps/tools to climb the ladder to success; someone less fortunate will have to use those same steps/tools or - the time they could have dedicated to using those steps to survive.An example of this could be a poor individual having to work to provide for themselves, while their peers go to school.

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Education by  Pawel Kuczynski

This Painting displays the artist’s comments on our modern education system. This artwork  depicts a student with his head forced into a textbook by a clamp.It could be interpreted as what the artist view as the problem with modern education, as being rigid, and forcing students to absorb information and a particular narrative.

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Razor II - Gaza by  Pawel Kuczynski

In 18th century Britain and  america a dove with an olive branch in its beak was a symbol of peace. This photo depicts/represents how peace in Gaza (the dove),   sits on a razors edge. It suggest that unless the conflict their is resolved soon all chance of hope for peace will be destroyed -just as the dove- since nothing can sit on a sharp razors edge for too long.  

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This Painting makes a bold comment on the dangers of environmental damage and global warming. It depicts a juxtaposition of a penguin, in a dry dessert,   because its natural cold habitat has been destroyed. It is now satirically forced to live in a freezer attached to a tree. This painting forces its audience to think about the consequences of global warming on the penguin’s habitat and survival,  since their habitats will be destroyed.

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Voting by Pawel Kuczynski

This painting touches on issues such as political manipulation and classism. It uses juxtaposition of a  shepherd  leading his sheep to green pasture, but this pasture is a check box in a voting poll. This could be interpreted as a politician (the shepherd) leading/convincing  the masses/population (sheep) to vote for him in an election. 

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Women’s career by  Pawel Kuczynski

This thought provoking and controversial satirical artwork deals with issues of sexual harassment that women sometimes face in the workplace. It displays how the ladder to success/ advancement for women (especially in the workplace), at times is attached to sexual harassment. 

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isis by Pawel Kuczynski

This controversial artwork titled Isis, depicts a Muslim man bowing down to pray, but he is attached to an oil drill. This controversial statement could be depicting what Pawel view as the motivation for Isis extremest in Iraq and Syria today, control of oil and its revenue. He suggest that although there doctrine/narrative for their violent conquest are religious, they may truly serve and are motivated by their desire for oil. A recent Guardian news article actually supports the artist’s controversial views. It detail the oil empire that ISIS has created and continue to create, as they take over new territory and sell its oil on the black market.  

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Alcoholism by Pawel Kuczynski

This painting represents  alcohols ability to “hook” individuals. As the person in the painting consumes more alcohol, the hook travles futher down the bottle and is able to get a firmer grip on the person. It also displays how difficlut and often painful it will be for individuals to break free from alcoholism(the hook).

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Confession by Pawel Kuczynski

Titled confession, this artwork features a juxtaposition of a person kneeling at a catholic confessional, however it is attached to the Facebook  symbol that public broadcast whatever he says loudly and publicly. This could represent the usage of Facebook by hundreds of millions of people, who believe what they do on Facebook is private, but are unaware that the company often sells/broadcast this information to companies and governments. 

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Dictator by Pawel Kuczynski 

This gif/artwork depicts the tendency for dictators and often regimes to take continually reappear.  The author believes that their is a cycle, where after one dictator falls another rises to fill its place.