Waldemar FYDRYCH “MAJOR”

Born in 1953, Toruń
JARUZELSKI’S WAWEL DRAGON, 2017
Acrylic, collage, canvas; 70 x 60 cm
Signed lower left: Major; on the reverse: Jaruzelski, the Dragon of Wawel / 2017 / Created by / Major Waldemar / Fydrych
Waldemar Fydrych “Major” (born April 8, 1953, in Toruń) is a Polish artist, performance artist, writer, and opposition activist, as well as the founder and leader of the Wrocław-based Orange Alternative. He studied history and art history at the University of Wrocław; in 2012, he earned his doctorate at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
In the 1980s, he became famous as an organizer of street happenings that used absurdity, the grotesque, and humor as a form of protest against the reality of the Polish People’s Republic. One of the most characteristic motifs of his work was the dwarves he painted on walls, initially in places where anti-government graffiti had been painted over by the authorities. From 1986 to 1990, Fydrych was the main organizer of the Orange Alternative, staging dozens of happenings in Wrocław.
After 1989, he continued his artistic activities, organizing further actions and happenings in Poland and abroad. He is also the author of books devoted to the Orange Alternative. His work straddles the boundaries of conceptual art, happenings, and social activism.
Starting price: 1,200
Estimated value: 3,000–5,000; inquire about the item