Open the Mirror Like a Window - Collages by Douglas Blazek

The artwork of Douglas Blazek is fascinating to most viewers as it conveys a sense of surrealism and fantasy. The richly layered elements of his collage work are recognizably classical in their style and subject matter. The viewer is instantly aware of the dreamlike quality of these works which are also reminiscent/evident of scientific and religious journals. From such works it is easy to infer that the artist has a background in science and metaphysics.

Listening to Blazek speak about his artwork he impresses with a very wise sense of knowledge. He is very scientific. Much of his thought process and method becomes clear as speaks about intuition, creation, and the meta-physical. As a mature individual with a scientific approach, some younger individuals say Blazek is nuts; but I think the scientific approach is rather fascinating, albeit hard to follow at times. But one would have to have a respect for empirical knowledge and sciences in order to appreciate such theories.

"Your world, environment, and interactions are collage."

Some might quip that Blazek's work is based on sexual fantasy, but studying his works it appears that there is room for not just sexual fantasy, but also a lot of other areas of fantasy and dreams. Blazek says that "all relations are meta-physical" and that "what is is only what it is by how it relates." Regardless of the viewer's interpretation Blazek's work is allegorical, symbolic, and mythical and in his appeal to communicate with the viewer he says that, for each of us, our world, environment, and interactions are collage. I would say that Blazek's work has a liquid quality to it and he does a good job of conveying motion and energy in his collage works. Each piece is like a window of meditation and wonder.