Roman Opalka

Question 1

Roman Opalka’s birth and death years

Answer 1

1931-2011

Question 2

Roman Opalka’s birthplace and heritage

Answer 2

French-born Polish painter.

Question 3

What is Roman Opalka most known for?

Answer 3

For a series of paintings (1965/1-∞) that started in 1965 and ended with his death.

Question 4

What is Roman Opalka’s 1965/1-∞ series?

Answer 4

Canvases (each called a “detail”) of the same size with the numbers 1 to ∞ painted on horizontal lines, with the same brush size (no. 0).

(From 1968) Each detail is accompanied by a recording of his voice reciting the numbers painted and a passport-like photograph of his face upon the completion of the painting.

Question 5

What was Opalka’s ambition with 1965/1-∞?

Answer 5

To visualize time

“The problem is that we are, and are about not to be.” (Roman Opalka quote from The Economist, 2011).

Question 6

What was the last number Opalka painted?

Answer 6

5,607,249

Question 7

What is the color of Opalka’s 1965/1-∞ series?

Answer 7

Early paintings are white numbers over black background.
In 1968, the background is gray.
From 1972, the background of each new detail is lightened by 1%. Opalka expected to reach white numbers over white background one day.