Crumpled Screens is a series of abstract works created since 1978 by crumpling, tearing, ripping up, and reassembling large, pre-printed or shiningly painted sheets of wrapping paper.

The ground—intentionally destroyed—and the coating—monotonous but wet and oily—both strongly stimulate the senses; none of the two layers seems more significant than the other.

The works stress the principle of reversion—construction by destruction—which also manifested itself in Scratch Screens. The aesthetic potential of material otherwise likely deemed wasted came to be reaffirmed by shows where deliberate protrusion or tilt of works hung on the walls voiced a wish, on the one hand, to annex the third dimension, and on the other—and perhaps crucially—to reassess ‘good taste’ and exhibiting conventions.

In most of these works the artist used a palette narrowed down to three colours—black, red, and white—which connects the concept to certain other series (especially Ready for Use, 1982).

Written by Krzysztof Siatka