Local artist Marek Lippaa Lipowski exhibits a series of oil paintings based on his heritage, experiences in Salinas and life in general.

“I’m just an average Joe-ski”, laughs painter Marek Lippaa Lipowski about his Polish heritage – a heritage that informs his work as an artist. He began painting as a youth and says he came to the United States from Poland over 30 years ago; his story is much more interesting than that. 

Lipowski’s adventure began when, as a teenager, he slipped away from communist Russian-ruled Poland into Sweden. He worked at odd jobs, including selling “Starving Artist” paintings that “were all made in China”.  He was able to pass into Austria, where he applied for asylum and spent a year in an immigration camp while awaiting a flight to New York. 

He lived in New York for a couple of years, before making his way across the country to Los Angeles, living first in Orange County, then Huntington Beach. He finally arrived in the Monterey Bay region in 1988. Lipowski resided in Santa Cruz, living and working in an old railroad warehouse, which provided 3500 square feet of studio space in the Sash Mill District.

An exhibit of his paintings at the government center sparked a heated controversy in the community about inappropriateness of this particular art in public places. “The government workers didn’t like my brooding paintings,” states Lipowski. “The subjects weren’t flowers or landscapes – they weren’t pretty pieces of art.”

Living for a time in Morro Bay, he relocated to Moss Landing a few years later, wanting to be closer to Santa Cruz. He worked for a company building roller coasters and all the while continued painting, amassing a great number of large-scale artworks.  

Moving to Salinas about five years ago, Lipowski maintains his studio and living space in downtown Salinas. Since then, the artist has had four solo shows and paintings featured in several group exhibits. Salinas was inspiration, too – where he created an epic painting of the Greyhound Bus Station.

Lipowski fit right into the emerging arts community in Salinas. His dark work and obscure subjects are a refreshing change to the usual offerings in local art: seascapes, landscapes featuring old barns, flowers, etc. “He creates art that forces the viewer to think,” explains curator Trish Triumpho Sullivan.

When asked about the theme of this exhibit, Lipowski quips, “Salinas made me do it.” It is about the relationship of gun violence and the ethnic jokes about Poles. The paintings explore the idea that harming others also harms oneself. The artist refuses to take himself or his art too seriously and often injects humor into his paintings. “Polski Target Pistol, one owner guaranteed,” he concludes.

Only half of the series of approximately thirty paintings is currently on display. The exhibit runs through April 30 at the 4Word Art Gallery in downtown Salinas.  An artist reception is scheduled for April 1st, from 5pm-8pm.  Polski Target Pistol can be viewed daily from 11am to 8pm and more work by the artist can be seen at www.lippa.com.
Hi-res images for press: Bald Eagle Polka/Bridge Housewife