Artist Creates Intricate Collage of Abraham Lincoln
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THE TM 911 Franklin Street Weekly Newspaper Michigan City, IN 46360 Volume 31, Number 24 Thursday, June 25, 2015 Keeping “Watch” Artist Creates Intricate Collage of Abraham Lincoln by Kayla Weiss When Michael Kosciel- niak was a student at the Chicago Academy for Fine Arts, a marketing director from Elgin National Watch Co. gave a lecture on the watch industry’s approach to advertising its product. WKoscielniak was fasci- nated by what he learned. “The marketing direc- tor pointed out that for photo shoots, all watch and clock hands are set at 10:10 in honor of the time of death of President Lin- coln, though people like to believe otherwise,” Kosciel- niak recalled. “This is still continued today by most watch manufacturers, in every magazine, billboard and TV commercial. The fallacy goes on. “The reason the hands are set to 10:10 is because most of the company’s logo is set in the upper middle part of the watch, and the hands would block the logo. Also, the watch looks more balanced.” Up until a few years ago, Koscielniak believed every- thing the marketing execu- tive said and began collect- ing watch ads from various magazines for their artistic Michael Koscielniak’s collage incorporates magazine watch ads to resemble Abraham Lincoln. Continued on Page 2 THE Page 2 June 25, 2015 THE 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.thebeacher.com/ PRINTED WITH Published and Printed by TM Trademark of American Soybean Association THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. into various areas. Certain portions of the portrait Continued from Page 1 were lightened on the computer to make them the Keeping “Watch” same tone, like the watches that make up Lincoln’s value. After a year, he’d amassed a thick portfolio. face and the general background. “After a conversation with my wife disputing the Everything in the portrait, it must be noted, was story about watch hands set to 10:10, and why I was created using watches, from Lincoln’s eyebrows, to collecting all the watch ads,” he said, “I was still his bottom lip, to his bow tie. In some areas, the fascinated with this false story that I had lived with watches can be clearly seen. Other areas are a bit for so many years.” more obscure. Lincoln’s eyebrows, for instance, were Then, a few years ago, Koscielniak noticed a few made from watch dials that were darkened to make things that seemed to be steering him back to Lin- them appear a little more like natural eyebrows. coln and 10:10: Lincoln’s bottom lip was cut from a pale-colored • Bill O’Reilly’s book, “Killing Lincoln.” watch face. For his beard, however, Koscielniak • Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning “Lincoln.” tried something different. Looking for that scraggly, • Plans to recreate the Lincoln Memorial Train, authentic facial-hair look, he took a razor blade to once scheduled to stop in Michigan City. the watches that comprised the beard, slicing them • President Obama’s efforts to raise the minimum up to allow the board beneath to show through. wage to $10.10. Finally, the bow tie was created with a repeated, Everything seemed to shrunken Gucci watch point back to Lincoln, ad. Koscielniak then cut the lecture and all the the repeated ad pattern magazine ads he’d col- into a bow tie for a truly lected. incredible touch. “I needed to do some- “This collage was thing with all those the most diffi cult thing tearsheets, and so I cre- I’ve ever done, because ated a collage portrait of I would have to paste President Lincoln using them, then step back nothing but the cut-out real quick to make sure watch faces,” he said. “I I’d put them in the ex- felt a need that would act right spot before the make people aware of glue set,” Koscielniak this story each time they said. “But, it was worth look at a watch ad. it. I even sent it out to “The end result was a few magazines to see the Lincoln portrait I if they wanted to run created, which features it instead of the tradi- all of these coincidences Michael Koscielniak’s journey to create his Lincoln collage dates back tional Lincoln portrait in the collage.” to his days as a student at Chicago Academy for Fine Arts. – just because I wanted Every single piece of the portrait was created us- to share it. I even sent a copy to President Obama.” ing those tearsheets. When he fi rst began collecting The portrait recently was on display at the Old them, he had absolutely no idea what he was going Lighthouse Museum in Washington Park while the to do with them. He just wanted to collect them be- replica of President Lincoln’s coffi n was on exhibit cause he appreciated the artistry and elegance be- as part of the celebration of Michigan City’s memo- hind the advertisements. rial tribute to Lincoln. Now, a copy of the original When creating his Lincoln portrait, Koscielniak remains on permanent display at the museum as a began with a large poster board and stretched out part of the display used during Fritz Klein’s hour- the most classic portrait of the U.S. president onto it long portrayal of Lincoln at the National Guard Ar- for an outline. Then, he began pasting the watches mory titled “The Final Journey.” After Klein’s per- THE June 25, 2015 Page 3 A previous watch collage by Michael Koscielniak. formance, the collage was permanently mounted on the wall next to the U.S. Constitution at Michigan City City Hall. Now, you can see it at City Hall or the Old Lighthouse Museum. For Koscielniak, the work refl ects a lifelong devo- tion to the arts, a rich background in the art scene, all beginning when he was in grade school. Every year around Christmas, the nuns at his school would have the students decorate the blackboards for Continued on Page 4 Michael Koscielniak’s detailed painting of a dog called “Fluffo.” THE Page 4 June 25, 2015 Currently, Koscielniak works as a multi-media Continued from Page 3 artist with Southern Shore Art Association. Keeping “Watch” “Now that I’m retired, I fi nd that I’m being more Christmas, drawing holly and Christmas trees. productive in my own projects,” he said. “Now, I fi - “The fi rst thing I ever remember drawing myself nally have time for all of these things that I’ve been was a poster of ‘Lady and the Tramp’,” Koscielniak wanting to do and other areas I’ve wanted to ex- said. “That was the prelude to ‘I think I can do this.’ plore – like fractals.” After that, I just kind of took off, drawing whatever I could whenever I could, and I never really stopped.” Koscielniak continued to pursue his love of art, attending the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, St. Joseph’s College, Fort Dearborn School of Photog- raphy (Chicago), Bogan College (underground fi lm- Some of Michael Koscielniak’s abstract paintings. making with Tom Palazolo) and Hull House (cine- Fractals are computer generated art created with matography). After graduating from art school, he millions of calculations in order for the fi nal product spent some time working with small advertising to make it to the screen. He also has a commission agencies and studios in Chicago. of a blue heron painting, and other commissioned However, real life interrupted when Koscielniak artworks. Other than that, he continues to stretch fulfi lled a military draft obligation. After a stint in his artistic abilities whether it be painting, collages, the U.S. Army, he set off for a change, moving to fractals, mosaic work, Citra-Solv artwork or photog- southern California, where he made money paint- raphy. ing murals in housing developments in the suburbs. “I don’t think I’ll do another collage, not one on When he moved back to the Midwest, he took a that scale,” Koscielniak said, referencing his Lin- job as an in-house art director for the World’s Finest coln portrait. “This one was pretty tough, and it was Chocolate Co. in Chicago, where he was responsible so meaningful for me. I don’t think anything else for all of the graphics and packaging design until he would be nearly as satisfying. But I’ve got plenty to retired. keep my creative juices fl owing.” Michael now fi nds himself fascinated by fractal work. THE June 25, 2015 Page 5 Group Seeks More Innovators by William Hallair The Society of Innovators of at La Porte County Historical Northwest Indiana is leading an Society Museum, 2504 Indiana Indiana Jones-style “Expedition Ave., and hosted by the Greater Innovation” across seven coun- La Porte Chamber of Commerce, ties to discover more creative NIPSCO and Ivy Tech Communi- individuals. ty College. On hand to inspire the A news conference was held gathering were Chamber Presi- last week in each of the coun- dent Mike Seitz, Museum Curator ties — Lake, Newton, Jasper, Susie Richter and La Porte Coun- Starke, Pulaski, La Porte and ty Commissioner Mike Boharek. Porter. The goal is to add new The special guest/speaker was members so the Society will Dr.