As long as form functions as a visual aid to concepts that can always be described, abstraction, which creates a much broader framework than can be defined, remains the eternal outsider of art. The way out is offered by the unshakable, solid inner imagination that drives both Károly Szikszai and István Nádler. Although in different ways, they both found themselves in the contradictory world of the non-figurative tradition of form-seeking and, despite their stylistic and substantive differences, became significant representatives of intuitive sensitivity.
István Nádler’s freely swirling lyrical gestures create a force field converging towards the centre, which is intended to create a sacral harmony resulting from the dissolution of the two opposing sides. His act of unifying the centre, through his black brushstrokes, sometimes spiralling, sometimes lightly, symbolising formal freedom, aims to hold the centre together, to preserve the tight bond between the top and bottom, which tend to unhinge. The use of two brushes provides a seemingly indefinable space for large-arched gestures, which, combined with an aura of dots, create a consistent state of balance.
In contrast, the dominant line of force in the strict formal order of Károly Szikszai’s urban “landscapes”, which follow Chaïm Soutine’s prints, keeps a safe distance from the respective formalities of geometric abstraction. The dramatic elementarism of his emotion-filled depiction, which teeters on the edge of sharply contoured recognisability, denies any form of narrativity and refrains from direct communication. His mysterious, gloomy landscapes and transitions, built up from blots and contours, are dramatic representations of a poetic nature that are difficult to verbalise; they are monochrome projections of the inner struggle with darkness and decay, tending towards fantasy-magoria.
Through a collaboration between Godot Gallery and Tér-kép Gallery, the exhibitions seek to create a dialogue that pushes the boundaries of abstraction by juxtaposing visual languages that reflect the radically different creative approaches of the two artists.