By James Bennett III
Theo Wujcik was a painter, drawer and master printer. His art has been shown in galleries across the world, including New York, Hong Kong and Liverpool, England. He also taught at USF for over 30 years and directed the university’s Graphicstudio.
Now, his work is being shown in a special exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg.
Wujcik moved to Ybor City in 1970 after studying art in New York and Los Angeles. The city’s punk scene engulfed him.
He could often be found dancing at clubs like The Castle, where he could dart from his studio across the street, then back again after the club was closed. During an Impotent Sea Snakes concert, he even jumped on stage and painted behind the band while they were performing.
Ybor inspired Wujcik. Wire fences, industrial materials and scenes from the city’s punk rock underbelly often appeared in his works.
He died of cancer in March 2014. His obituary in the Tampa Bay Times stated, “He continued to use the fence metaphor in his category-defying art for years. That whirlwind has finally stopped.”
The MFA’s exhibition, titled “Theo Wujcik: Cantos,” is a collection of Wujcik’s decade-spanning series of works centered around “Dante’s Inferno.”
The collection is Wujcik’s literal and metaphorical interpretation of the Italian epic poem. It opens with two paintings that represent the poet’s invocation of the muses. Curator of contemporary art, Katherine Pill, reported that those two paintings gave Wujcik the most grief.
In total, the exhibit displays 10 pieces, a set of collages that Wujcik used to prepare for the series, and an iPad with pictures of Wujcik’s handwritten notes on each piece in the exhibition.
The exhibition also displays a jewelry box that Wujcik found in an empty lot. The box had “dante” written on the inner lid, so — being a superstitious man — Wujcik kept the trinket for good luck.
The museum will also host a couple of Wujcik-inspired events.
First, on April 20, the post-punk band ICU/the Catherine Wheel will play together for the first time in over 20 years. They plan on performing their original material from 1987 to 1991, a time period that marked Wujcik’s golden days.
On May 17, the museum will host a dance party called “Theo’s Inferno.” DJ Gabe Echazabal will play Wujcik’s favorite punk and new wave tunes from the ‘80s. Visitors with a VIP pass, which costs $60, will be given a tour of the exhibition by Wujcik’s widow and keeper of his estate, Susan Johnson.
“We are honored to present this focused exhibition celebrating an important aspect of Theo Wujcik’s powerful portfolio,” said Kristen A. Shepherd, executive director of the Museum of Fine Arts, in a press release. “We hope this exhibition will introduce his work to a new audience who will learn about and appreciate his impact on the arts in this region and beyond.”
The exhibition will be on display until June 2.
