Exhibition: Blažej Baláž. Geld macht Kunst
Type: Solo
Date: 2003/06/12
Duration: 2003/08/18
Gallery: Jan Koniarek Gallery, Trnava, Slovakia
Curator: Jiří Valoch
WWW: www.gjk.sk
PRESS RELEASE:
BLAZEJ BALAZ – GELD MACHT KUNST
Exhibition duration: 2003/06/12 – 2003/08/18
Place: Jan Koniarek Gallery, the Koppel House, Zeleny kricek 3, Trnava, Slovakia
Curator: Jiri Valoch, a prominent Czech fine arts theorist from the National Gallery in Prague, who addressed himself to Slovak art for 30 years.
The name of the exhibition is in a way a play on words and paraphrases the sentence „Arbeit macht frei“ to „Geld macht frei“, which is at the same time a name of one of the exhibited Works by the author and also the name of the author´s individual exhibition in Košice in the year 2001 and eventually to „Geld macht Kunst“.
The exhibition represents author´s paintings created during the years 1997 – 2003. Sizeable paintings (the largest of which is 300 x 800 cm), from the cycles Mandalas, Memory and Trivial Paintings are made of polyurethane, coin swarf, rasped coins and poppy seeds. Paintings combine post-conceptual approach with elements of post-minimal art, and could be referred of as „discursive painting“.
The author has used the „powder“, which is a result of his rasping coins in his objects, paintings and graphics since the year 1992 particularly on his monochrome (single-coloured) Mandalas. Opposed materials to this „metallic, double dead“ surface is poppy seed, which recalls, subconscious information of an individual character, sucha s childhood, or universal character – central European identity (for instance Poppy Field, 2001/2002). Works created by superimposing single colour layer of symbolic value by metallic powder or poppy seeds, could be viewed of as „fenetras aeternitatis“ (Windows to eternity).
“Social“ paintings using letters (tableaux écritures) are also created on this principle of a material painting, either by means of metallic powder or rasped coins themselves (CLEANMONEY, 2002, GODSAVEUS, 2003). Works created as „memory objects“ resonate also with thesis of „ethical judgement“ (Gilles Lipovetsky).
Blazej Balaz
born on 29th October 1958 in Nevoľné, region Žiar nad Hronom
Studies: 1973 – 77 Secondary School of Applied Arts, Kremnica
1977 – 83 Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava
At the present time the author lives in Trnava and act as a professor and leader of a Fine Arts Department at the University of Trnava. The current exhibition of Blazej Balaz works is his 20th individual exhibition since he has finished his studies in the year 1983.