Łukasz Rychlicki (exhibition)

Łukasz Rychlicki. Chance under control

Łukasz Rychlicki has long moved between music and the visual arts. He is best known as a guitarist associated with some of the most notable bands on Poland’s alternative scene – Kristen, Lotto and Dynasonic – and, together with Mateusz Rosiński aka Jessica, he forms the duo Bad Phase. At the same time, he designs posters, books and album covers. What connects these two areas of his practice is more than simply the name of their author: they share a similar way of thinking about form.

Musician, designer, explorer

Rychlicki is interested in imperfection, chance and error, treating them as possible starting points for creative exploration. The same openness can be heard in his music. In Lotto, the musicians have repeatedly and deliberately moved beyond the habits associated with their instruments. On the album Axolotl, the band’s traditional instrumentation was almost entirely pushed aside. A guitar, then, does not have to be simply a guitar, just as a poster does not have to be merely a carrier of information. What matters is the possibility of discovering what might happen along the way.

Reduction and intensity

In his graphic design practice, Rychlicki works with a range of techniques – from collage and his own photography to compositions based entirely on typography. He is interested in the tension between simplicity and the intensity of a message. Rather than overloading the image, he limits the number of elements and uses colour deliberately. His posters have promoted concerts by artists as diverse as Tortoise, Deerhoof, Michael Gira, The Necks, Thurston Moore, Stephen O’Malley and Anthony Braxton. His portfolio also includes projects connected with artistic events and institutions, such as the visual identity for Sklep z planetami (Planet Shop) at the FOTO-GEN Gallery.

Chance instead of perfection

Łukasz Rychlicki is drawn to experimentation, visual shorthand and the deliberate decision to leave room for chance. In music, this may take the form of improvisation, an unexpected sound or a sudden change of direction. In graphic design, it might be an accidental juxtaposition, the imperfection of a print, a bold colour or a single sign.

The exhibition of his works at Fonomo Music & Film Festival is more than a presentation of the output of a graphic designer closely connected with Poland’s independent music scene. It is also an opportunity to discover the visual side of an artist whose musical practice has long been guided by a similar principle: rather than repeating tried-and-tested solutions, let us see what happens when we allow form to slip slightly out of our control.