A 90-es évek figurális festészetének nagy áramához kapcsolódik Csató József is festményeivel. Ugyan képei központjában mindig az ember áll, sajátos fülledt, az egyenlítõtõl délre található egzotikus tájakról érkezõ és a társadalomtól látszólag távol élõ figurái mellet növények, állatok és tárgyak vagy különbözõ minták népesítik be a festmények terét. Tulajdonképpen az ember környezetéhez való viszonya Csató képeinek központi motívuma, éppen ezért nincs arra szüksége, hogy olyan fontos testrészeket, mint a fej és az arc megjelenítsen. A figurák karakterét cselekvéseik, mozdulataik és az õket körülvevõ tárgyak adják. Azt azonban már nehezebb lenne eldönteni, hogy ezek a figurák egy urbanista festõ elvágyódásának idealizációi, avagy a szokatlanra, a nem hétköznapi egyszerûségre éhes festõ észrevételei. Talán mindkettõ. Akárhogy is, a karakterek rendre ismétlõdnek a hagyományos olaj-vászon technikával készült festményeken, akik olykor telefonálás, viráglocsolás, kertészkedés, gyümölcstál-rakodás, tehát igen hétköznapi cselekvések közben avanzsálnak. Csató gyorsan és kényelmesen fest, meleg színekkel, vad ecsetvonásokkal. Változó méretû színes vásznain karaktereit egy-egy jellemzõ részlettel, olykor különbözõ mintázatokkal teszi érdekessé: egy toll a kalapon fejdíszként, az egyszerû szabású ruha durva csíkozása, a kabát gombjai, mind egy-egy szembeötlõ, kedves részlet a portré-zsánereken. Paul Gauguin és Henri Matisse trópusi palettájához hasonlítják legtöbben képeit, Csató pedig arra használja ezt a hatást, hogy megteremtse saját gazdag világát, hogy megerõsítse saját kortárs és nagyon is mai narratíváit. Így lehet, hogy egy törött nyakú kék elektromos gitár és tollaslabda-nyaklánc került egy öreg indián asszony kiegészítõi közé egy 2007-es képen, de a nagyon is európai történet, a Tell Vilmos mítosz is egy barna bõrû Csató karakterben ölt testet újra. A mûvészettörténeti értelemben vett narratív festészettõl a maga egyediségével és sajátos történeteivel tér el a mûvész és kiindulási pontként egy naivabb ábrázolási módot tett sajátjává. Ez a kicsit neo-folk irányba tartó festészeti mód, vagy nevezzük kívül álló festészetnek, nem kapcsolódik bele egyetlen mainstream figurális festészeti áramlatba sem, hanem követi a saját útját. Nem meglepõ tehát, ha azt mondom, ez a koherens festészeti mód ma a legérdekesebb, legfelkapottabb és legkülönlegesebb a figurális áramlatok között. A 19. század végétõl a mûvészek rendszeresen visszatértek a kívülállók
mûvészetéhez – a mûvészeti oktatásban nem részesült tehetségek, az õsi társadalmakban élõ egzotikus népek, a gyerekek, vagy az elmebetegek ösztönös mûvészeti önkifejezési formáihoz és stílusaihoz, amelyeket alkalmazva sikeresen beépítettek az egyetemes mûvészetbe. Ma is népszerû ez az attitûd a festészetben – az odafordulás a különöshöz -, megfûszerezve korunk aktualitásával: a városi létezés pillanatképeivel, és kegytárgyaival. De egy új lehetõséget is beemelt az utóbbi idõben festészeti kísérleteibe Csató. Háromméteres papírokra kezdett dolgozni, ami nem kis technikai felkészültséget és koncentrációt igényel. Motívumkészletében is változás következett be: az embert felváltották az állatok, a városi környezetet a kert. A saját és univerzális szimbolikával megfogalmazott, fülledt egzotikummal belengett munkák technikai megoldására a régi falfestmények stílusa jellemzõ: direkt elrajzolások, informel háttér, kiegyensúlyozatlan arányok és egyszerûsítés. A francia avantgard mestereinek társadalomból kivonuló és a primitív társadalmak mûvészete felé forduló gesztusánál idõben még távolabb kell keresnünk a forrásokat, talán egy vadászat elõtti szakrális rítus körül. De végül is mindegy, hogy keressük-e és ha keressük merre az elõképeket vagy referenciapontokat, hiszen ezek a munkák itt vannak, most vannak, és mai szemmel kell néznünk õket, bármennyire is nem akaródzik.
Sárvári Zita
József Csató face parte dintre pictorii marelui val figural al anilor 9o. De?i în centrul aten?iei tablourilor lui este omul, lîngã personajele care provin din peisajele egzotice de la sud de ecuator ?i care se pare cã trãiesc departe de orice societate apar plante, animale sau diferite modele. Motivul central al tablourilor lui este rela?ia omului cu mediul în care trãie?te, de aceea nu are nevoie sã prezinte importante pãr?i ale corpului cum sunt capul ?i fa?a omului. Caracterul figurilor e dat de ac?iunile, mi?cãrile ?i obiectele lor. Rãmîne mai greu de spus dacã aceste figuri se nasc datoritã utopiei pe care o urmãre?te artistul, a dorin?ei lui de a trãi altundeva sau reflexiile unui pictor însetat de neobi?nuit, de simplitatea pe care n-o putem întîlni la ora? sau în civiliza?ie. Poate sã fie vorba de ambele. Csató picteazã rapid ?i comod, utilizînd culori ?i cu un penel sãlbatic. Pe pînzele sale cu mãrime variatã, caracterele prezentate le face mai interesante cu cîte-un detaliu caracteristic, cu diferite modele: o panã pe o pãlãrie, dungile dure ale unei haine croite simplu, nasturile pe un palton sunt toate detalii pline de farmec pe portrete. Paul Gauguin ?i Henri Matisse sunt pictorii cu care îl aseamãnã cei mai mul?i, ?i el folose?te influen?a asta pentru a împrospãta propria lume bogatã, propriile narative foarte contemporane. A?a se face cã alãturi de o bãtrînã indianã apare o chitarã albastrã cu gîtul rupt ?i o perlã din mingi de badminton pe un tablou din 2oo7, dar chiar ?i legenda foarte europeanã a lui Wilhelm Tell e prezentatã printr-o figurã cu pielea de culoare închisã. De pictura narativã din punctul de vedere a istoriei artei artistul se deosebe?te prin unicitatea lui ?i prin istoriile caracteristice ?i ca punct de pornire ?i-a asimilat un mod de prezentare mai naiv. Stilul acesta neo-folk sau sã-l numim picturã deta?atã nu se încadreazã în nici o direc?ie a picturii figurale mainstream, î?i urmeazã propriul drum. Nu poate fi deci surprinzãtor dacã spun cã modalitatea aceasta este cea mai interesantã, mai popularã ?i mai distinctã. De la sfîr?itul sec. al 19-lea artele s-au întors la arta care se deta?eazã – la stilurile ?i modalitã?ile de autoexpresie instinctive a talentelor care nu au avut parte de studii de arte frumoase, a popoarelor egzotice care trãiesc în societã?i primitive, a copiilor sau a bolnavilor mentali.
Atitudinea asta, întoarcerea la ceea ce e diferit, e ?i astãzi foarte popularã, condimentatã cu actualitatea epocii noastre, cu imaginile vie?ii de la ora? ?i a obiectelor rituale a acesteia. Dar Csató a asimilat încã o alternativã în ultima vreme. A început sã lucreze pe hîrtii de trei metri, ceea ce pretinde o pregãtire tehnicã ?i o concentrare pe mãsurã. Putem vedea schimbãri ?i în re?eaua sa de motive: omul dispare ?i apar animalele, mediul urban e înlocuit cu grãdinile. Tehnica lucrãrilor recente exprimate printr-o simbolicã proprie ?i univerzalã care au un aer egzotic poate fi caracterizatã prin stilul picturilor murale: desene voit excesive, fundal informel, dispropor?ionãri ?i simpflificãri. Gestul î?i are izvoarele într-un trecut chiar mai îngardei depãrtat decît cel al mai?trilor avangardei franceze care au pãrãsit societatea ?i ?i-au întors privirile spre arta popoarelor primitive, poate în jurul ritualului sacru care precede vînãtoarea. Dar e totuna dacã cãutãm ?i unde cãutãm asemãnarea, deoarece aceste lucrãri sunt aici ?i acum, ?i trebuie sã le privim cu ochii contemporani fie cã vrem sau nu.
Zita Sárvári Traduducere Demény Péter
Part of the big wave of figural painting movement of the 90s is József Csató and his paintings. Although in the centre of his paintings there is always the man as such,next to his figures coming from distinctly muggy and exotic landscapes south of the Equator and living seemingly far from society there are also plants, animals and objects or patterns filling the spaces of his paintings. Actually, the central motif of Csató's paintings is the relationship of man and his environment and therefore he doesn't need to visualize important body parts like head or face. The character of the figures is given by their actions, movements and the objects that surround them. What is really hard to decide is that whether these paintings are the idealizations of the an urbanist painter or the remarks of a painter hungry for the unusual and not ordinary simplicity. Maybe it's both. Anyway, characters doing regular everyday stuff like talking on the phone, watering flowers, gardening, loading a fruit plate, are constantly repeating. Csató paints hastily but with ease, using warm colors and rough brushstrokes. He makes his characters on his different-sized and colorful canvases interesting with a some typical details or sometimes with different markings: a feather on the hat as a headpiece, the rough striping of a simply-cut dress, the buttons of a jacket, they are all some nice, eye-catching details on the portrait-genres. They often compare their paintings to the tropical palette of Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse, while Csató uses this effect to create his own rich world and to strengthen his own contemporary and modern narratives. This explains why there is a blue electrical guitar with a broken neck and a badmintonnecklance among the accessories of an old native Indian woman on a painting from 2007 and the European legend, the one of William Tell is embodied in one of Csató's characters of colour. As compared to historically narrative painting, Csató is different with his individuality and his particular stories and as a starting point, he interiorizes a more naive mode of representation. This is a mode of painting going to a neo-folk direction or we can call it outsider painting because it doesn't go with any of the mainstream figural painting streams but it's follows its own way. Thus it's not surprising if I dare to declare that this coherent painting style is the most interesting, popular and unusual among all the figural streams. From the end of the 19th century, artists started to return regularly to the art
of the outsiders – the instinctual artistic ways of self-expression and style of the talents who didn't get any artistic education, of exotic people living in ancient societis and of children or mentally ill people – and they managed to incase these into the universal art. This attitude – turning to the queer - is still popular in the art of painting, and it's seasoned with the actuality of our age: the snapshots and artifacts of urban existence. Lately, Csató started to utilize a new opportunity in his painting experiments. He started to paint on three-metres long papers and that requires a great deal of technical preparedness and concentration. There was also a shift in his set of motifs: humans were replaced by animals, the urban environment was replaced by the garden. His works formulated with his own and universal symbolics and penetrated by muggy exoticism is characterized by the style of old murals: intentional drawing mistakes, informal background, unbalanced proportions and simplification. We have to look further if we want to find his sources, further than his gesture turning to the art of primitive societies and the art of the masters of French avant-garde, maybe we should look around a sacral rite that precedes a hunt. After all, it's irrelevant if we look for antitypes or reference points or where we look for them because these works are here, in the present and we have to look at them with the eyes of today, no matter how much we don't want to. Zita Sárvári Translated by Elõd Márton
Name Csató, József Place and time of birth Mezõkövesd, 15. June 1980. Education 1998-2000 Faculty of Art and Visual Communication, Eszterhazy Karoly Teacher Training College, Eger 2000- University of Fine Arts, Budapest, class of Dóra Maurer 2002 Tóth Menyhért Scholarship 2004 Erasmus Fellowship to the Nürnberg, class of Angerman Solo Exhibitions: 2012. “Large Papers” Rumbach Synagogue, Budapest 2012. “Unfinished lines” K13 Gallery, Budapest 2010. “Women, pastery, and a snake” Nextart Gallery, Budapest 2010. “Girl with a Csató-painting” Nexart Gallery, Budapest 2009. “In line” Nextart Gallery, Budapest 2007. “Brand New” Chinese Caracters Gallery, Budapest 2003. Studio of Contemporary Artists: „Being a cactus”
Other Exhibitions: 2011. “Small Talk” , Virág Judit Gallery, Budapest 2011. Galeria Civica, Potenza, Italy 2010. CK Centre, Skopje, Macedonia 2010. The Fridge, Sofia , Bulgaria 2011. Artist Camp of Elnök Street, Budapest 2010. “Tabou Script” - Carton Gallery, Budapest 2008. “Pulsating” ,Szada 2007. “All is one” Collegium Hungaricum , Wien 2007. “Uncut version” Ernst Museum, Budapest 2007. “New Tide” Octogon Art Galleria, Budapest 2005. Institute of Geology: Exibition of students of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Budapest 2005. Raifeissen Bank, Budapest: „We're 25” 2005. Artus Galéria – Night of Museums, Budapest 2005. Hall of Arts – Exhibition for „Hedopiritanists” 2004. Kunst im Gang, Bamberg, Germany „hartes brot” jointly 2003. University of Fine Arts of Stuttgart, „Transmission” 2003. Artus Gallery, joint exhibition with Gábor Király és Eszter Szabó ,Budapest 2002. Goethe Institute: „two” , Budapest 2000. Art pool: „impossible” ,Budapest
Lista lucrãrilor / List of the Artworks Ioan, 68x62cm, ulei pe pînzã / John, 68x62cm, oil on canvas 2010 În grãdina lui Rufino, 95x135cm, ulei pe pînzã / Rufino's garden, 95x135cm, oil on canvas 2008 Bãiat,150x150cm, tuº pe hãrtie / Boy, 150x150cm, ink on paper, 2011 Emoþionat, 100x70cm, ulei pe pînzã / Excited, 100x70cm, oil on canvas, 2008 Fatã frumoasã, 31x26cm, ulei pe pînzã / Beautiful girl,31x26cm, oil on canvas, 2011 A mîncat, 62x47cm, ulei pe pînzã / He ate it, 62x47cm, oil on canvas, 2011 Ultra Viola, 115x123cm, ulei pe pînzã / Ultra Viola, 115x123cm, oil on canvas, 2011 Pantaloni de, 80x70cm, ulei pe pînzã / Trousers, 80x70cm, oil on canvas, 2011 Vãduvã, 98x88cm, ulei pe pînzã / Widow, 98x88cm, oil on canvas, 2007 Descoperire, 31x26cm, ulei pe pînzã / Find, 31x26cm, oil on canvas, 2011 Fatã frumoasã, 31x26cm, ulei pe pînzã / Beautiful Girl, 31x26cm, oil on canvas, 2011 La collectioneuse, 80x80cm, ulei pe pînzã / La collectioneuse, 80x80cm, oil on canvas, 2010 Vremuri grele, 110x120cm, ulei pe pînzã / Hard Times, 110x120cm, oil on canvas, 2011 În grãdinã, 150x250cm, tehnicã mixtã / In the Graden, 150x250cm, Mixed technique, 2012 Fazan, 150x230cm, tehnicã mixtã / Pheasant, 150x230cm, Mixed technique, 2012 Brusc, 100x100cm, ulei pe pînzã / Suddenly, 100x100cm, oil on canvas, 2009 Prietenul homarului, 117x81cm, ulei pe pînzã / Lobster Friends, 117x81cm, oil on canvas, 2009 Rude, 104,5X80cm, ulei pe pînzã / Relatives, 104,5X80cm, oil on canvas, 2007 Femelã, 95x130cm, ulei pe pînzã / Female, 95x130cm, oil on canvas, 2010 Azul, 40x30cm, ulei pe pînzã / Azul, 40x30cm, oil on canvas, 2012