ART IS FUN… OUR GALLERY IS THE EXTENDED VERSION OF YOUR LIVING ROOM

On 26th of June in Graz, in Gallery Eugen Lendl the „Dialog 2” group exhibition was opened. Three painters of the Art Salon\Társalgó Gallery shared the exhibiton space with four austrian artists. The seething gestures of Stefan Maitz; expansive forms of Christian KRI Kammerhofer; abstract visions of Josef Wurm and the expressiveness of drawing by Michael Fanta have a word with the shadowy landscapes of Róbert Csáki; refined system of gestures by Imre Barna Balázs and the powerful colors of PAF. Dr. Márton Méhes, director of Collegium Hungaricum Wien emphasized in his opening speech, that there are energies in the space, created by the artworks effecting eachother. Truly, the halls of the gallery become a field, in which different artistic visions, styles and techniques open themselves to eachother. „Dialog 2” gives the viewer the opportunity to indite and shape the connections of the artworks. So the concept of the exhibition insures a broad playing field for the paintings, and for the visitors as well. Exciting, thought-provoking opennes of „Dialog 2” reveals, that art is a general language, which is able to blur any boundaries.

photo: Zsófi Máté
written by: Zsófi Máté

In spring of 2013, Art Salon\Tarsalgo Gallery’s artists debuted with great success in Vienna with the „Dialog” group exhibition. In June 2014, „Dialog II” will be settled in Gallery Eugen Lendl, in the city of Graz, Austria. The concept, just as last year, will be creating harmony of the heterogeneous material created of several artists’ artworks, so the works open themselves to each other, but they do not lose their uniqueness. Róbert Csáki, Imre Barna Balázs and PAF are excellent contemporary painters, each of them express their thoughts and feelings through painting, but with a different technique, in a different style.

Róbert Csáki’s painterly impressions are visualized by gorgeous colours and masterful compositions. On his paintings we travel into a mystical, unreal but still familiar nature. „Hommage à Caspar David Friedrich” guides us from the shady frame to the centre of the composition, so we can linger on in the bland distant lights.

Strong gestures and colours dominate the painting of PAF, which are the abstract forms of an inner world filled with vehement emotions. The sharp surfaces, stirring colours of his paintings create deep inner spaces. „Gesture Box I” is a cube, each of its sides is covered with PAF’s gestures. In this wise the pictures become spatial, and are showing the infinity and the non-enclosing, which characterize PAF’s painting.

Imre Barna Balázs seizes with amazing sensitivity the phenomenon of experience, and how the sense and the soul can shape the sensation of the world. The system of gestures on „Flux LXII” reflects the forms of nature. The intensity of colours reveals the great power of our thoughts and emotions.

The variegation of „Dialog II” will be enhanced beyond the Hungarian painters by the artists of Gallery Eugen Lendl; Michael Fanta, Christian KRI Kammerhofer, Stefan Maitz and Josef Wurm as well. Though each artwork creates an own world and aura, they can effect each other, and their dialog can vest them with stunning, new meanings. „Dialog II” will aim to represent through the connection of different artworks the open, inexhaustible, always renewable character of art.

photo: misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

„Vernissage” by Róbert Csáki is ruled by an abortion. Although his shapes don’t disserve from his environment, his hooked bust, the whiteness of his shirt, and the wine glass in his hand are the most real elements of the painting’s blurred world. Not as his head on his thick neck, meaning heads, which are limbs of the same body, they are turning to us with different visages. This worrying being, if we take a closer look, really is a polite monster, who’s squint is shy, and holds his glass clumsy, with his little finger holded away from it. As if he isn’t home at the shades of the picture’s world. Vernissage is a French word, meaning the opening of an exhibition. From the title of Csáki’s artwork is clear, that this is the occasion of the figure sitting by little white table. His embarrasment is caused by the fact, that we can see him in whole, that nothing is protecting him from our staring. In this habit and situation there is a pure indication how the artist stands in front of the audience while showing them his artworks: in nudity and defencelessness.

photo: Mihály Borsos (misi)
written by: Zsófi Máté
Vernissage (230x200cm, oil on canvas, 2010)

On „Flux LVIII” by Imre Barna Balázs a dynamic system of gestures is appearing on the surface of the painting, blazing in the colors and lights of dawn. The gestures vivify the picture, while they transmit the stillness of motionless stationarity. Their various colors, variant intensity of their stratification do not result tension in the space of the picture. The ground of the artwork and the gestures on it resolve to eachother, creating indissoluble whole, sense of pure harmony. Though the gestures seem stochiastic, they are part of a larger order, in which every detail has it’s own space and function. They fill the space of the artwork with movement and stationarity at the same time, as part of the conscious composition. In the shapes of gestures we can observe the forms of nature on „Flux LVIII”. The painting by Imre Barna Balázs reflects how the artitst’s, or even the viewer’s inner world translates, recreates well known sceneries. Thus it is connetcted with the reality, not only visualizes it, but unfolds it’s connection to mental, spiritual contents with the instruments of painting.

photo: misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Flux LVIII (130×210 cm, oil on canvas, 2014)

On “Flux LXIII” by Imre Barna Balázs we get into an other reality. The abstract painting, wich creates an organic system of gestures is inspired by forms of nature. On the pale blue surface of the picture there are luminous shapes of paint. They can be understood as a reflection, which appears on the water, an element of the living nature. We don’t know the real landscape, only the reproduction. The painting itself takes one more step foreward, since it is a reproduction of a reflection, i.e. a reproduction which has no original. The “Flux LXIII” faces a philosophycal question as old as art itself: is art able to be more than the reproduction of reality? If we look at the artwork by Imre Barna Balázs, we can realize, that the important thing is not the similarity between the painting and reality. The picture’s composition without any eventuality, creates an own, inner order, which leads the viewer’s perspective into the depth of the painting, to a mystical darkness, a distant sphere. It doesn’t urge us, to imagine, build the orginal reality, what is only reflected. Contrarily, it creates a substantive world.

photo: Misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Flux LXIII (50×69,5cm, oil on wood, 2014)

„Beach” by Róbert Csáki calls the mood of sultry, endless summer days into mind. On the picture, a wierd, friendly figure is bathing in the peaceful water. There is unsophisticated grace in his presence, with his shiny life saver and vast, azure beachball he is dispossessing the stylized artwork. He’s looking at us with his tiny eyes, which transmit ease and gloom at the same time. The whole painting is defined by this gentle ambivalence. It’s atmoshere is filled with airiness, childlike joy because of the scenery of the toys, but still the waft of the lifeless flowers makes it heavy with tiredness and solitude. The lovely figure on „Beach” by Csáki invites us into the painting’s world. As if he’s asking us to play with him, or simply share the worm summer silence, timeless stationarity, drowsy brightness.

photo: Misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Beach (21x20cm, oil on wood, 2003)

On the newest painting by Róbert Csáki, there is a bed in the foreground. Although it’s empty, it suggests the human presence on the picture, as well as the bridging on the left side. The painter terminated the bed and the wreathing shade towards it with angled compositional elements. These do not register to eachother, they don’t close perfectly a safe inner space. As if the foreground was a room, open to every directions, only divided from the infinite background with these anomalous forms. Two worlds are dissevering on Csáki’s artwork, they could be the sphere of God and men, wakefulness and dream, reality and fantasy, life and death. We come to the measure of these as viewers. As the counterpoint of the bed, there is a tiny but significant luminary in the distance, maybe it’s illuminating the piece of furniture. This star carries the hope, that we are able to come at the sphere it’s part of. However, the artwork by Róbert Csáki is surrounded by the sense of neglect, it’s atmosphere is determined by worrying stationarity. The picture may opens the door to transit between the two worlds, but also warns us, that we cannot exist in them at the same time.

photo: Misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Untitled (59x68cm, oil on canvas, 2009_2014)

To visualize temporality is a great aritstic pledge. “Hidden Time” by PAF interprets time as a mechanical construction at first sight,inasmuch as the circles scooped into the harsh surface of the painting evoke the spur wheels of a clock. At the center of the artwork, as contact point of all these components, there is a clockface. PAF represents measurable, objective time. Nevertheless this isn’t the full extenct of temporality. The paining’s dark colors, it’s scrachty,mysterious surface, infinite inner spaces do not suggest the domesticity,concreteness of the illustrated topic. Technical complexity of the picture carries the possibility of mental compelxity: the painting tells about time that is accessible to all, about subjective time, even about the time of the artwork. The picture is bisected by a vertical red gesture,which is dominating the whole painting, and could be the intervention into operation of time. With this powerful gesture PAF takes possesion of the unknowable on “Hidden Time”.

photo: misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Hidden Time (100x50cm, mixed technique on wood, 2013)

„Demons and Chaos I-IV” by PAF create a whole. The four artworks share the same system of gestures, they are perfect continuation of each other. The dynamic, powerful gestures don’t respect their frames, stretch beyond their measures, so the for paintings become permeable. The „Demons and Chaos” series is an open artwork, both visually and mentally. The interlocking gestures create a chaotic, deep, quintessential space in the picture, and in some cases they become dark, demonic figures. Variety of touch, colors, consistency of the paint the viewer can always pioneer new figures in trying to be released of the demons haunting them, overcome the chaos, reveal the secret hidden by the paint streaks. New recognitions lead to other representations. Accordingly reflexive relations of the viewer and the artwork can change the whole painting, is able to generate very different emotional impressions. This mental openness makes „Demons and Chaos” series by PAF unfailing, always vivifies it in new and other lives.

photo: Misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Demons and Chaos I-IV (100x50cm/piece, mixed technique on wood, 2014)

Chaos means in vulgar tounge maze, an unwanted condition, in which we would rather not spend time. On the other hand, chaos means infinite space, unshapen matter, from which the universe came into existance. Latter approaches “Chaos” by PAF. Stratification of the paint, varied facture provides strained tone to the picture, which plants the fear of the unknowable into the viewer, but this is only the surface. If we lose ourselves in the artwork, the chaotic spectacle could become an order without any eventuality.Gestures create a conscious system, they are forces taking effect on eachother in tackle on the painting, mostly the black and the white ones. In the space of strained relations of dark and light, as the center of the composition, there is a red gesture, which is one of the most important elements in PAF’s art. This is the substratum of the painting’s order, which vindicates and terminates the aforsaid discrepancy at the same time. Unity of gestures, colors and matter on PAF’s artwork is materialization of the creativeness chaos possesses.

photo: Misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Chaos (100x100cm, mixed technique on wood, 2013)

„Cloister” and „City Lights” by Róbert Csáki show similarity in colours, touch and in representation of lights. The landscapes on the pictures despite their strangeness carry the sense, that we have seen them before. They could be fantasies or memories, which are beyond control, surrounded by versatilty, transiency. On „Cloister” from the background’s infinite, deep shade buildings meet the eye, which are dissevered from their environment because of light perfusing them. Whiteness of the church’s tower has a central role, it rules the painting. Constructivity of this colour is determining in case of „City Lights” too. The two white paintstains overwrite the harmony of deep colours on the artwork. However what seems breaking of the picture’s order is in fact a necessary component. Reddish spots on „Cloister” are also telling of a conscious, precise composition. They change the whole painting, terminate the accidental aspect of the sinister,transitory landscapes. Inter alia these tiny paintstains contain the genius of Róbert Csáki.Their startling strength is realization, turning into stationarity of riddling interaction of tones and light and unlimited visions.

photo: Misi
written by: Zsófi Máté
Cloister (30x30cm, oil on wood, 2013)
City lights (40x35cm, oil on wood, 2013)

On „Saturnus” by Róbert Csáki we meet with a strange creature. It posseses with animal and human features at the same time, and because of it’s name we can’t forget about the godlike temper either. According to mythology, Saturnus ate his own children, because they meant danger to his power. In the representation of Rubens or Goya in the eye of the god is unrelenting craze, while he is transacting his terrible action. Saturnus by Róbert Csáki is different. Though the blood guttering from his mouth tells of sin, his visage – if the viewer is able to stand it – suggests repetance. This eye is almost ruling the painting’s spell-binder spectacle. Csáki placed Saturnus into a misty landscape, whose body, because of the variety of colors and touch is like its composed of many matter and aggregate. His beautiful unreality or his stylized surroundings becomes ready for the viewer because of his visage. He looks out of the picture, breaks his closed world. He stands in defencelessness front of us, and so do we in front of him. We know the sin of the creature in Róbert Csákis masterpiece, but his trenchant visage tells, that he may knows our sins too. Let him be a being of a sphere far from us, his strangeness becomes familiar, even friendly if we are looking at him long enough, and his visage reflects us like a mirror.

photo: Misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Saturnus (200x300cm, oil on canvas, 2013)

„Housing Project I.” and „Housing Project II.” by Róbert Csáki have grand strength despite their small sizes. On the artist’s running exhibition we placed them far, contrapuntally from eachother. The attach of the two picture establishes a space just like the paintings themselves: territory. Csáki overwrites the conventional attitude to housing project, translates it’s representation. His soft brushstrokes, pale, almost romantic lights settle the sternness of these houses. The buildings melt in their environment, they do not wake the sense of strangeness, they are not the appearance of a restricted world. On the contrary, Csáki’s bland lines assign mistique to the modern territory, he shows us a world we want worm ourselves into. In case of „Housing Project I.” and „Housing Project II.” we see the houses from a lurking-perspective, the light in the windows are rather the signs of life, than claustrophobia’s. The strong-colored bridgings in the foregrounds stretch beyond the margins of the paintings. They show the never-enclosingness, which is also transmitted by the artworks.

photo: Misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Housing project I. and Housing project II. (21x21cm, oil on wood, 2013)

„The Sun King” by Róbert Csáki alloys technical precisity of old masters with query of today. The title of the painting already refers to withered styles, the baroque, and it’s visual world rather to the rococo. Portraits of the XVII. and XVIII. century fill the figures with life, by movement, coquetry of red cheeks, gracefulness of folds, clairvoyant visage. Csáki applies the playful usage of lights and colors of these styles, the figure of „The Sun King” is illuminated from the depth of the background. The body is clotted in whirling by many gradation of green, it is a cadocous texture, which represents the mistique of baroque fold. What truly modern is in the painting, that Csáki not only visualizeses the figure, but also dissects it, overwrites the genre of portrait. „The Sun King” does not have visage, which encumbers to look at it as a human. Although, this feeling of hiatus and the surly darkness of colors is overwritten by the open mouth of the figure, which transforms the lifeless atmosphere of the painting. Like he would moan, breathing his fear and angst into the world. This act becomes the sign of cut-off between life and death, which pervades the picture. Thus Csáki interweaves the vital blandness of baroque, and the blow-up of inner suffering (as by Francis Bacon) in this masterpiece.

photo: Misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

The Sun King (78×66 cm, oil on canvas, 2013)

„Uptown Workshop (Philadelphia)” by László Gyémánt is a realistic detail of a city, understandable by Paul Cézanne’s the idea about landscape: man is absent from it, but completely within the brain. Sense of leaving behind dominates the picture, incarnated in the dying workshop or the unowned car. These are the stock of the painting, which could be defined as the objective world of a social class, milieu, standard of living. However, Gyémánt’s unmoved, willfully void-profundity portrayal alienates from the underlying,these objects should refer to. They do not advert to a bigger context, do not become symbols of a bigger reality, do not lead to the people they belong to. What is there on „Uptown Workshop” by László Gyémánt, shows indeed what is absent. All this goes beyond the alienation of people from their objective world, and captures visually their irreversible fragmentation, in stony, inexorably precise style.

photo: Misi

written by: Zsófi Máté

Uptown Workshop, Philadelphia (50×70 cm, oil on canvas, 2009)