PRZEKROCZYĆ UT PICTURA POESIS
477
Jmg ut pictura poesis.
ćz^7 J TT^ćipAor m ^A^
o/ Rrom^Aw
In his searches for creative inspiration, Bronisław
Linke (1906-1962) also madę use of phrasal forms.
There thus arose many works composed in the main
as propaganda materiał for the Polish communist
system of the 1950s. The artist madę use of the pic-
ture contained in the Tinguistic tissue' (author's ter-
minology) of phraseology in his bid to almost
literally Tender' it into image form by making it vis-
ibie to the ianguage of art. A numerous group of
drawings intended to unmask the true character hid-
den behind the exterior image thus arose. Among
these was 'Eisenhower aiming at politics'
(PAcukower ce/u/e wpo/ityce) (ill. 1), presenting the
American generał and president pointing (i.e. aim-
ing with) his machinę gun. Linke ałso sought to de-
pict a true łikeness of Eisenhower. In this way, the
artist 'played' with (Polish) łiterałness, in the shared
phrasal connection as in his yisualisation of the pri-
mary function of the verb "celować" (aim). This
above all else is what Linke based his idea, sińce as
much as the phrasal link in the caption has no nega-
tive connotation, the artisLs yisualisation possesses
a clearly pejorative colouring (a distinguishing fea-
ture of Eisenhower's politics being to provoke mili-
tary confrontation). The dependence on literał
meaning also reveals itself in two further drawings by
Linke: 'The Clock of Socialism - DonT delay the
clock of history' (Zegar ,s'oc/akżmu /7Vte zatrzymacie
zegara Pzte/ów/) and 'We back peace with all our
heart' (.7c.stcs'my caiyuz yerccm za poko/em) (ill. 2).
The unmasking feature is again prominent in Cannon-
Fodder (War - Money-making machinę) Mięso
armr/tuc (TLpua - maszynka Po robienia pteuięPzy)
(ill. 5); cf. Alfred Kubin's Ger.: WauuoueppPter.
An altogether different drawing arose in 'Pour-
ing emptiness into the void' (Prze/ewautepustego w
próżne) (ill. 3), presenting a litera! image of this
popular expression in Poland, which accurately, as
opposed to literally, translating into English as
'speaking twaddle'; i.e. in communicating without
substance, or conducting conversation devoid of
meaning. In the cartoon, Linke resorted to defonua-
tion and fragmentation, conceiving an open head
with no face holding two glasses. The image of one
empty glass having its non-contents poured into an-
other provides an additional connotation of split na-
turę with a 'habit' of conducting meaningless
arguments that has come from the tendency to auto-
matic repetition.
A somewhat yariegated yisualisation of Linke's
was drawn from the phrase 'God's finger' (Pa/ec
Pozy) (ill. 4), a term taken from the Bibie alluding to
a phenomenon understood to b e an omen and thus
sign of intervention by metaphysical powers; i.e.
Divine intervention. For his image, Linke drew on
the notion of a 'finger' descending from above that
presses down and crushes helpless people. While
this alien 'finger' has wings of a kind, it hardly can
be said to have reached down from a celestial higher
world. Of considerable importance is the rue of scalę
applied by the artist, whereby the 'divine finger'
crushes to death human beings. Linke's drawing
makes no attribution to God, thereby divorced from
the otherwise Biblical phraseology. Providence as
perceived in a Christian context as belief in Divine
power shaping history is treated by the artist as a
wholly negative sign.
The phrasal connection is not always present in
the title of Linke's work in a fuli 'dictionary' sense.
The artist on occasions subjected the phraseology to
certain forms of modification, creating through this
approach a facultatiye yariation. For examp!e, the
drawing titled 'In such Fre meat can be roasted' (7
przy takim ogniu można upiec ,s*wo/ppiecze/i) (ill. 8)
underwent a certain degree of modification. Polish
has adopted the phrase 'to cook in another's fire';
much as Linke altered the phrase 'Kmock on a win-
dow', meaning 'Exert oneself', 'Make demands in a
Government office'. Linke's title reads: 'The Atomie
winter is knocking at the window' (Zima atomowa
puka Po okna) (ill. 9).
In some drawings the iconic message's contents
are clearly anchored in phraseology, one such ex-
ample being 'Individuals' (/uPywiPua/Aci) (ill. 10),
presenting human fłgures attached by ropes to their
homes. Each of these people is pulling 'their home'
in the direction of their choice. In spite of the ironie
title chosen by Linke, he was also alluding to an-
other saying: 'Each pulls in their own direction'
(„PażPy ciągnie w xwo/p stronę"), alluding to moti-
yation for selFsh ends. A further drawing on phrase-
ology is depicted in 'Pigheadedness (Sordid
Ianguage)' Ckamxtwo (P/ugawa mowa) (ill. 11).
Bronisław Linke also composed works in which
numerous personifying and objectifying metaphors
appear. One example is Doli (La/ka) (ill. 14), com-
posed of a child's toy placed in a surreal backdrop
with little morę than the head readily familiar. The
477
Jmg ut pictura poesis.
ćz^7 J TT^ćipAor m ^A^
o/ Rrom^Aw
In his searches for creative inspiration, Bronisław
Linke (1906-1962) also madę use of phrasal forms.
There thus arose many works composed in the main
as propaganda materiał for the Polish communist
system of the 1950s. The artist madę use of the pic-
ture contained in the Tinguistic tissue' (author's ter-
minology) of phraseology in his bid to almost
literally Tender' it into image form by making it vis-
ibie to the ianguage of art. A numerous group of
drawings intended to unmask the true character hid-
den behind the exterior image thus arose. Among
these was 'Eisenhower aiming at politics'
(PAcukower ce/u/e wpo/ityce) (ill. 1), presenting the
American generał and president pointing (i.e. aim-
ing with) his machinę gun. Linke ałso sought to de-
pict a true łikeness of Eisenhower. In this way, the
artist 'played' with (Polish) łiterałness, in the shared
phrasal connection as in his yisualisation of the pri-
mary function of the verb "celować" (aim). This
above all else is what Linke based his idea, sińce as
much as the phrasal link in the caption has no nega-
tive connotation, the artisLs yisualisation possesses
a clearly pejorative colouring (a distinguishing fea-
ture of Eisenhower's politics being to provoke mili-
tary confrontation). The dependence on literał
meaning also reveals itself in two further drawings by
Linke: 'The Clock of Socialism - DonT delay the
clock of history' (Zegar ,s'oc/akżmu /7Vte zatrzymacie
zegara Pzte/ów/) and 'We back peace with all our
heart' (.7c.stcs'my caiyuz yerccm za poko/em) (ill. 2).
The unmasking feature is again prominent in Cannon-
Fodder (War - Money-making machinę) Mięso
armr/tuc (TLpua - maszynka Po robienia pteuięPzy)
(ill. 5); cf. Alfred Kubin's Ger.: WauuoueppPter.
An altogether different drawing arose in 'Pour-
ing emptiness into the void' (Prze/ewautepustego w
próżne) (ill. 3), presenting a litera! image of this
popular expression in Poland, which accurately, as
opposed to literally, translating into English as
'speaking twaddle'; i.e. in communicating without
substance, or conducting conversation devoid of
meaning. In the cartoon, Linke resorted to defonua-
tion and fragmentation, conceiving an open head
with no face holding two glasses. The image of one
empty glass having its non-contents poured into an-
other provides an additional connotation of split na-
turę with a 'habit' of conducting meaningless
arguments that has come from the tendency to auto-
matic repetition.
A somewhat yariegated yisualisation of Linke's
was drawn from the phrase 'God's finger' (Pa/ec
Pozy) (ill. 4), a term taken from the Bibie alluding to
a phenomenon understood to b e an omen and thus
sign of intervention by metaphysical powers; i.e.
Divine intervention. For his image, Linke drew on
the notion of a 'finger' descending from above that
presses down and crushes helpless people. While
this alien 'finger' has wings of a kind, it hardly can
be said to have reached down from a celestial higher
world. Of considerable importance is the rue of scalę
applied by the artist, whereby the 'divine finger'
crushes to death human beings. Linke's drawing
makes no attribution to God, thereby divorced from
the otherwise Biblical phraseology. Providence as
perceived in a Christian context as belief in Divine
power shaping history is treated by the artist as a
wholly negative sign.
The phrasal connection is not always present in
the title of Linke's work in a fuli 'dictionary' sense.
The artist on occasions subjected the phraseology to
certain forms of modification, creating through this
approach a facultatiye yariation. For examp!e, the
drawing titled 'In such Fre meat can be roasted' (7
przy takim ogniu można upiec ,s*wo/ppiecze/i) (ill. 8)
underwent a certain degree of modification. Polish
has adopted the phrase 'to cook in another's fire';
much as Linke altered the phrase 'Kmock on a win-
dow', meaning 'Exert oneself', 'Make demands in a
Government office'. Linke's title reads: 'The Atomie
winter is knocking at the window' (Zima atomowa
puka Po okna) (ill. 9).
In some drawings the iconic message's contents
are clearly anchored in phraseology, one such ex-
ample being 'Individuals' (/uPywiPua/Aci) (ill. 10),
presenting human fłgures attached by ropes to their
homes. Each of these people is pulling 'their home'
in the direction of their choice. In spite of the ironie
title chosen by Linke, he was also alluding to an-
other saying: 'Each pulls in their own direction'
(„PażPy ciągnie w xwo/p stronę"), alluding to moti-
yation for selFsh ends. A further drawing on phrase-
ology is depicted in 'Pigheadedness (Sordid
Ianguage)' Ckamxtwo (P/ugawa mowa) (ill. 11).
Bronisław Linke also composed works in which
numerous personifying and objectifying metaphors
appear. One example is Doli (La/ka) (ill. 14), com-
posed of a child's toy placed in a surreal backdrop
with little morę than the head readily familiar. The