Variations

The artist presents themes from multiple perspectives, sometimes treating each piece as a thematic sequence, sometimes as an aesthetic sequence. These works then enter into context with each other, complementing and shaping previous works. It is not surprising, therefore, that an earlier compositional solution or motif is reinterpreted and becomes part of newer works.

The monochromy in the three pieces of his 1992 work Változat (“Variations”) is more of an illusionistic harmony, as the details of each work are created using a variety of colours. These works are also unique in that the artist created a regular structure, building the composition from 4×4 separate squares. The complete scene is made up of the 16 squares, the balance of which seems to be thrown off from the very first moment due to the placement of the individual elements. It is as if we were to put the pieces of a puzzle into place; the image almost invites us to scan and decipher the relationship between part and whole.

In the case of Töredékek (“Fragments”), the delicately drawn classical motif fragments almost float on the blank paper, reflecting, as in the Változatok (“Variations”) series, on the constant transformation, the intangibility of the illusion of permanence. It is interesting to observe that compositions with a more intense use of colour and form are always present as a counterbalance to the puritanical use of colours and forms. One example of this is the 1994 work A sötét anyag születése (“The Birth of Dark Matter”), featuring richly nuanced waves of colour that rise from the bottom up in a black medium dominating the surface, which we are already familiar with. In Győző Sárkány’s oeuvre, figural and non-figural composition go hand in hand, complementing each other, and the role of this duality in the creation of each work becomes increasingly self-evident.

Ildikó D. Udvary art historian