– I am Polish, I come from Biłgoraj –said Stefan Knapp, an artist of world-famous art, when, due to his long residence in London, he was considered English. Its avant-garde works adorn many galleries, museums and other places in the world, including London Hethrow Airport, the United Nations Geneva headquarters, many facilities in the US, the University Hall in Toruń, Planetarium in Olsztyn, etc. Also on the facade of Biłgoraj City Hall is Knapp's plastic work "The Road to Freedom", and in the hall of the UN LO in Biłgoraj presented by the artist a portrait of Copernicus.
Stefan Knapp's life and work I learned a lot about after the artist's death from his brother Zygmunt. I met him for a walk, saddened told me that his brother Stefan had recently died. He invited me to show me his memorabilia and share his memories.
That autumn, thousands of people in Britain were saying goodbye to Stefan Knapp. He left outstanding novel works in many countries of the world. He died suddenly on 12 October 1996 at the age of 75. He travelled in Poland in August. He showed his wife English and his sons his native country and visited his family in Biłgoraj, a city in Lublin, where he was born on 11 July 1921. He came from a well-known Biligoric Knap family. His grandfather owned rent houses. Stefan, his family name Knap after the war, changed to Knapp during his studies in London. The first paintings of the future artist were painted in childhood. They behaved in private collections of his older brother Sigismund. On one of them is the river Łada, and the other, on the background of the forest, depicts an old hut covered with a roof.
– The inspiration for Stefan was everything around him that aroused his interest – told Zygmunt Knap. – The old hut was seen in Bidaczów near Biłgoraj when we went to the forest for mushrooms. Upon his return, he painted a memorable landscape with a hut of simple oil paints that his grandfather renewed. Stefan was born with artistic talent. Already as a little boy with a burning end of the match, he drew on white tiles the likeness of our guests. He easily moved everything, people, animals, nature, objects and his visions into the carton.
A dozen-year-old Stefan before World War II began his education at the Technical School in Lviv and continued it also after the occupation of this city by the USSR army.
– He left his first girlfriend, great youthful love in Biłgoraj. He once came from Lviv for a few days to meet her, with a beautiful black-eyed Barbara – The artist's brother mentioned it. – Returning to Lviv proved difficult. On his way to Sieniawa, the Ukrainians beat him and ordered him to return to Biłgoraj. So he returned, but shortly after that incident he returned to Lviv.
This time he was assaulted by the Soviets and imprisoned in prison, in Rawa Ruska. Then he was in custody at Kazimierzowska Street in Lviv (on the so-called Brigidki), from where he was transported to Chersonia. At that time, repression of Polish intelligence intensified. He was brought to justice. He later told the family: – I was judged by a man and a woman. To begin with, they offered cigarettes. I refused, explaining that I don't smoke.- "You don't like the Soviet cigarette!- screamed "judge" and sentenced me to 5 years of gulag.
This sentence was passed in August 1940. After a few days, convicts were ordered to crawl on their knees from prison to railway station. From there they were taken to Siberia and rushed to slave labor near Archangelsk Sea. Hunger, grueling work, brutal treatment were everyday there.
Stefan was still passionate about art. Under those conditions, he could not carry it out. One time, he made a game card out of waste and a chess bread, for which he was severely punished. Stefan once carved a cellmate a pipe with his faithful image. The camp chief saw this and was delighted with the sculpture. - I'm sorry. It's a masterpiece – He spoke Russian and took Stefan from the gulag to his home for a while. There, the prisoner, on the instructions of the host, painted, drew, and carved portraits of the warden, his family, and friends.
The location of Stefan and his camp colleagues changed only as a result of the Sikorski-Majski arrangement (which was concluded on 30 July 1941 between Poland and the USSR), which aimed to fight the Third German Reich together. As part of this agreement, Soviet authorities included amnesty of Polish citizens deprived of liberty in the areas occupied by the USSR. Stefan Knap then joined the Polish army formed in the Soviet Union as the Army of Anders. He wanted to be an aviator, so after special tests he was qualified for training. Before this happened, he experienced an extremely difficult period of soldierly wandering with the Army of Anders through the USSR, then via Iraq and Egypt they reached South Africa. His officer's school was housed in successive transition camps where the army was stationed. Including in the desert, where they moved to Mumbai, then across Madagascar to Africa. From there for a few weeks by sea to Glasgow, UK. A few more weeks Stefan spent in Scotland before he went to Blackpool, where after research he and his colleagues were directed to a special piloting course at Hucnall. It was a small airport, where the basics of English, the general principles of aviation and the elementary organisation of RAF were taught. After further stages of training, Stefan Knapp also went to the 318th "Gdanski" Division of the Hunting and Rozperządzniki "Gdański", which targeted targets and investigated the effectiveness of raids after the action. He served in this unit until the end of the war.
Władysław Nycz, his colleague from Division 318, wrote in his book "Air reconnaissance" about Knap: "This thin, handsome, sensitive boy had two dreams: becoming a fighter pilot and a painter artist. He got into the reconnaissance squadron and his artistic passion couldn't stop anything. He reconciled with his ministry and developed his talent. He remembered drawing and models were us, colleagues".
Nycz's book contains numerous illustrations by Stefan Knap, who drew portraits of colleagues of the entire Squadron 318. After the war ended, Stefan Knap remained on emigration. The archival materials "Polish Armed Forces in World War II" show that Stefan Knapp as a well-deserved RAF officer was awarded the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari War Order, twice the Battle Cross, twice the Air Medal and the Pilot's Field Sign. In 1975, he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta , the same year he was awarded the King of Cros Polonia Restituta Cross.
The experience in Soviet camps, then in Siberia, as well as the time of war-time wandering with the Army of Anders and the first years of emigration in England, Stefan Knapp described in a book published in 1957 in English entitled "The square sun". In Poland, she first released twenty years later in an underground edition entitled "The Square Sun". In 2017, this book was published by the Biłgoraj Regional Society in Polish.
After the war, Lieutenant Stefan Knap, due to the status of a well-deserved RAF officer, received a scholarship that enabled him to study, which he long dreamed of. He first started his artistic education at the Royal Academy of Arts in London (i.e., the Central School of Arts and Crafts of Various Arts), and two years later he also began studying at the University of London School of Arts, where he studied painting. During that period he added an additional "p" to his name, changing it to Knapp. In 1947, as a student, he exhibited dozens of his works depicting the tragedy of war experiences. At the time, he was not yet a well-known artist to support himself made money during his winter break in learning as a ski instructor in the Swiss Alps. He graduated in 1950. His great success and fame brought him an exhibition in London in 1954. He presented an individual creative style and innovative technique made of light steel, in which glass was embedded in special furnaces at a temperature of 2,000 degrees Celsius. It was dominated by sharp, saturated colours of images of abstract content, from the border of exotics. The artist has long been fascinated by the secrets of Eastern art. He was delighted by the intricately made broths of enamel on light metal and bold colors. Then the thought came to him to develop the right technique and to start doing modern art works in enamel on light metal.
Knapp's avant-garde works of unusual aesthetic, decorative qualities were impressive. Famous art critic Patrick Furse wrote in "The Guaerdien":
"Polish RAF pilot – famous painter. His works as if he touched the magic wand were found in all the excellent galleries of the world". Another critic and philosopher John Russel in the "Sunday Times" in the article entitled "The Liberation of Color" was delighted with the courageous colour charts in Knapp's work and the durability of paintings that could be exhibited even on external elements of architecture. Thanks to special technology they were resistant to changing weather conditions. The artist made huge wall paintings on many representative buildings in the world, erected by prominent architects. Knapp's work was sought by well-known galleries and exhibition houses. Paris, Milan, Caracas, Amsterdam – these were the artist's first trips. In the early 1960 ’ s, he traveled around South America, where he was fascinated by Inca culture. She was another creative inspiration. At that time original, colorful artistic forms of glass were created. The artist liked travel, enriched his creative passion, visited almost the whole world.
Kiedyś zaprzyjaźnił się z Żydem wywodzącym się z Hrubieszowa, który na stałe osiadł w Monachium. Pod jego wpływem Knapp przez pewien czas zajmował się projektowaniem elementów zdobniczych dla synagog w Izraelu, dla synagogi w Ontario i innych miastach. W dzieciństwie miał w Biłgoraju wielu kolegów żydowskiej narodowości. Utkwiły mu w pamięci charakterystyczne macewy na biłgorajskim kirkucie i symbolika żydowskich domów modlitwy co okazało się przydatne w jego pracy twórczej, bardzo różnorodnej. Uznawany jest za mistrza mozaiki dekoracyjnej metalowo-emalierskiej o nowoczesnym charakterze. Dziełem Knappa m.in. ogromne panneau ( 60 x15 m) w Paramus w New Jersey. Olbrzymie prace ścienne tego artysty we Francji, w Stanach Zjednoczonych, w Indiach, Meksyku, Gwatemali, w Niemczech, Japonii, Iranie i wielu innych miejscach na świecie. W Polsce artysta uczcił swoją twórczością jubileusz kopernikowski dziełem o tematyce astronomicznej umieszczonym na auli Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu. Inne ogromne dzieło przedstawiające wizje kosmosu znajduje się w Planetarium w Olsztynie. W 1983 r. podczas spotkania w Watykanie podarował obraz Janowi Pawłowi II. Podobny przekazał Katolickiemu Uniwersytetowi w Lublinie. Obraz z krzyżem trafił także do parafii św. Jerzego w Biłgoraju. Dla warszawskiej stacji metra „Wilanowska” Knapp wykonał płyty dekoracyjne, a na Polach Mokotowskich w Warszawie stoi pomnik według jego projektu, upamiętniający zasługi lotników polskich i alianckich w zwycięstwie nad III Rzeszą Niemiecką. Wiele prac plastycznych tego artysty uświetnia zbiory muzealne i prywatne kolekcje koneserów sztuki. Jego dzieła od lat są prezentowane na niezliczonej liczbie wystaw na całym świecie za życia i po śmierci twórcy.
Do Polski, pierwszy raz po wojnie Stefan Knapp przyjechał w 1962 r. Podarował wtedy bratu Zygmuntowi m.in. dwa obrazy. Jeden z nich sporych rozmiarów, na czerwonym tle przedstawia jakby eskadrę samolotów. W prezencie ślubnym dla starszego brata namalował specjalny obraz w swoim stylu. Od tamtej pory artysta coraz częściej odwiedzał Polskę i swoich bliskich. Bywał krótko, ale czasem nawet po dwa razy w roku. Dużo wcześniej, zanim zaczął przyjeżdżać do rodzinnego kraju, w 1958 r. Stefan zaprosił do siebie, do Anglii matkę i brata. –Pokazał nam Londyn, tamtejsze zwyczaje, trochę zdystansowanych ale bardzo kulturalnych i życzliwych Anglików. Z zapałem nam opowiadał o swoich zamierzeniach twórczych – tak wspominał ten wyjazd Zygmunt Knap.
W 1973 r. Stefan Knapp jako jedyny Polak w historii otrzymał prestiżową nagrodę brytyjskiej fundacji im. Winstona Churchila, przyznawaną tym, którzy wnieśli największy wkład w rozwój określonej dziedziny. Z okazji wystawy w 1974 r. w warszawskiej Zachęcie obrazów, rzeźb i tkanin artystycznych Knappa, wydano katalog jego twórczości. Rok później artysta został uhonorowany Krzyżem Komandorskim Odrodzenia Polski. Swoim dorobkiem artystycznym rozsławiał nie tylko Anglię gdzie się osiedlił , ale także rodzinny kraj. Zawsze przyznawał się do polskości.
– Stefan miał zawsze tyle planów. Pamiętam jak bardzo chciał ozdobić jeszcze wiele miejsc w Polsce i za granicą. Mówił o tym podczas naszego ostatniego spotkania. Niestety nie wszystko zdążył. Gromadzę pamiątki po nim. Poza obrazami i innymi przedmiotami, zachowałem niesprawny już ponad 30-letni volkswagen garbus, podarowany kiedyś przez brata. Stefan był cichym, skromnym człowiekiem i mimo wielkiej sławy takim pozostał – mówił ze wzruszeniem Zygmunt Knap niedługo po śmierci artysty.
Biłgoraj o wybitnym artyście pamięta. Władze samorządowe miasta jedną z biłgorajskich ulic nazwali im. Stefana Knappa. W Muzeum Ziemi Biłgorajskiej miała miejsce promocja książki artysty „Kwadratowe słońce”, wiele razy organizowano w tej placówce wystawy jego prac, a także kilka lat temu w Liceum Ogólnokształcącym im. ONZ , gdzie znajduje się portret Kopernika podarowany przez twórcę. 27 września 2023 r. w siedzibie Muzeum Ziemi Biłgorajskiej odbył się wernisaż wystawy stałej „Stefan Knapp- wspomnienie życia i twórczości”. Można zobaczyć różne formy twórczości tego artysty ( korzenioplastyka, emalia, akryl, tkanina artystyczna). Do powstania ekspozycji przyczynił się Paweł Sokołowski ( wnuk brata artysty) , który przekazał muzeum akryl na płótnie autorstwa Stefana Knappa. Na wystawie m.in. trzy „Krzyże” z kolekcji Muzeum KUL i ze zbioru parafii św. Jerzego w Biłgoraju. Interesującym elementem jest tapiseria wg projektu artysty, podarowana muzeum przez Monicę Penders w 2022 r., wcześniej ta unikatowa tkanina była prezentowana w galerii w Amsterdamie.
Tego samego dnia w Biłgoraju ( 27 września 2023 r.) dzieło tego twórcy „Droga do wolności” zostało umieszczone na fasadzie budynku Urzędu Miasta. Obraz został użyczony bezterminowo przez Pawła Sokołowskiego, krewnego artysty.
Halina Ewa Olszewska
W opracowaniu tekstu korzystałam głównie z informacji i materiałów oraz zdjęć udostępnionych mi przez Zygmunta Knapa, oraz z książki autobiograficznej Stefana Knappa „Kwadratowe słońce”. Wykorzystałam również wiedzę o artyście i swoje zdjęcia, uczestnicząc w kolejnych wystawach i wydarzeniach poświęconych Stefanowi Knappowi.
HEO
Artykuł ukazał się na stronie: https://pisarze.pl/2023/10/31/halina-ewa-olszewska-o-wybitnym-artyscie-stefanie-knappie/
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