Szabolcs Veres: Three Leged Woman (2016)

Szabolcs Veres: Three Leged Woman (2016)

Szabolcs Veres, Three Leged Woman (2016), 150 x 95 cm, Oil on Canvas, Part of the Collection since 2016.

This oil painting may once be considered as a key work of Szabolcs Veres. He has repeated and changed this motive, worked over it on and on. At the end, this signal yellow woman leaves the viewer with many questions. The background is dark, obviously the context is not one of joy. On a cupboard on the right side one can see a death skull. An obvious sign for death, for eternity or as a classical symbol in oil paintings. Holbein used it, Claesz used it, Vanitas was a symbol for the limitation of life on earth, it was useful both in the enlightened world as well as in the metaphysical or religious world. You can also see it as a reference to the classic master painters of the past. Here in this work I believe that it is more important to see it as a reference to what this woman is about – she may be a part of the painters past, she may be even dead or part of a memory of somebody. Before the work was finished, the face was very clear, the lady wore glasses and appeared very stiff, even draconic to me. But this was mainly due to the edgy design of the glasses she wore. Veres later decided to blur the face, in fact this happened within minutes while I was visiting his studio in April 2016. It was a very fast and straight executed decision and it will be interesting to find out, what more is behind this woman. In her right arm, she carries a paper bag. The main object is a bit unclear, next to it seems to be a baguette – it carries a shape that resembles a penis. The yellow shirt is contrasted by the tie – she is dominant, she could be in a communist youth organization. She wears a green skirt, on the one side maybe trying to attract, but it is also very military in its appearance. Confusing is the look on the legs: There are three of them, also there is something which could be a forth, it is not clear what it is. While one on these legs is yellow-orange, that one wears a female shoe. The center one has none, not even a foot can be seen, maybe a club foot, satans foot? The left leg then is wearing a functional shoe, maybe a trecking shoe to hike. It could be, that this is not her leg even, maybe it is a male leg. In all of this, there is confusion about the sexuality and its key symbols. It is not clear, wether we see a dominating woman or if that woman is dominated by an organization, an ideology. The baguette gives us sexual symbol, it could be that this person had a love-hate relationship with somebody that had a strong sexual underpinning. Her hands are no gentle hands, they could be claws. The third leg has no connection to the body. Is it deferred, time-delayed in the appearance as on a film negative? The title gives not much of a clue, the three leged woman is there and she could already be a part of our memory. Szabolcs Veres starts with the traditional notion of the portrait and proceeds to distort it into something disturbing in the manner of Bacon and Ghenie, however, this is clearly his personal style now that can be rooted back as much to traditional oil portraits as to psychological distortion and awareness.

This above image was featured in Christies report on Adrian Ghenie and the paint brush factory in Cluj, you can see the original layout of the painting and how much it changed to its final form.

strong>Über Szabolcs Veres Werk

Veres Szabolcs bedient sich Methoden der klassischen Malerei, die er während des malerischen Prozess aufbricht und dem Bild ganz intuitiv eine verstörende meist überladende Bedeutung gibt, das sich auch in dem Format der Bilder widerspiegelt.
Eine gewisse mystische-existenzielle Tiefe legt sich über seine Malerei, die sich dennoch nicht scheut ein extrem breites und vielschichtiges Farbrepertoire einzubeziehen.

Veres Szabolcs employs methods of classical painting, which he breaks up during the painting process, intuitively giving the picture a disturbing and supercharged meaning that is also reflected in the format of the works.
A certain mystical-existential depth and darkness lies in his painting that nevertheless embraces a vast and complex color repertoire.

Ich habe ein sehr ausführliches Porträt von Szabolcs Veres und seiner Umgebung in Cluj (Klausenburg) verfasst, worauf ich hier verweisen möchte, wenn man sich eingehender mit ihm beschäftigen möchte: Veres, Cluj und das Leben in der Kunst

Szabolcs Veres / vita

1983 born in Satu Mare/ RO
2006 Bachelor of Arts, University of Art and Design, Painting Department, Cluj-Napoca/ RO
2008 M.A., University of Art and Design, Painting Department, Cluj-Napoca/ RO
2012 PhD, University of Art and Design, Cluj-Napoca/ RO

Currently lives and works in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

SOLO EXHIBITONS

2017 Hyle, Spencer Brownstone Gallery, New York/ USA
2016 One year of solitude, Galerie Martin Kudlek, Cologne/ D
2012 Veres Szabolcs-Solo Show, Sala delle Grasce, Pietrasanta, Lucca/ I
Veres Szabolcs-Solo Show, Prometeo Gallery di Ida Pisani, Milan/ I
2008 Studies for hunt, Casa Matei Gallery, Cluj-Napoca/ RO
 
GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2015 Never Alone, The National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNCA), Bucharest/ RO
painting – cluj, Galerie Martin Kudlek, Cologne/ D
2014 The Flesh of Things. Un-Painting the Romantics, Jecza Gallery, Timisoara/ RO
Hidden Field, Bazis Platform + ultrastudio, Pescara/ I
2013 ABSORPTION, ANAID Art Gallery, Bucharest/ RO
DISTORTED REALITIES artists from Paintbrush Factory Cluj-Napoca, LARM Gallery, Copenhagen/ DK
MUTATIONS, bazin contemporary art platform, Berlin/ D
A wicked dance under the trees, Bazis, Cluj-Napoca/ RO
Through a glass darkly – faces past and present, Kunsthalle Budapest/ HU
2012 CLUJ meets BERLIN, bazin contemporary art platform, Berlin/ D
European Travellers. Art from Cluj Today, Kunsthalle Budapest/ HU
2011 SPARTA – dell’altra arte, White Project Gallery, Pescara/ I
BERLIN SHOW #3: Glimpse, Plan B Gallery, Berlin/ D
Welcome tot he Uncanny Valley, BAZIS Contemporary Art Galllery, F.D.P. – Fabrica de Pensule, Cluj-Napoca/ RO
2010 Unusual Suspects, Ivan Gallery, Bucharest/ RO
HYLE, Spencer Brownstone Gallery, New York/ USA
2009 Heroes and Fears, with Oana Farcas, Ivan Gallery, Bucharest/ RO
Growth, Parti Gallery, Pecs/ HU
BAZIS Contemporary Art Gallery, Miercurea Ciuc/ RO
Under Natural Circumstances, MODEM – Modern and Contemporary Art Center, Debrecen/ HU
2008 Ready – Steady – Growth!, Bazis Group, Bulgakov Gallery, Cluj-Napoca/ RO
2007 Rehau ArtGala, MNAC – National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest/ RO
Maniphesto, Preview Gallery, Cluj-Napoca/ RO
2006 Europa Artium, Cluj-Napoca/ RO
2005 Tobacco Flesh with Dan Maciuca, Radio Cluj Gallery, Cluj-Napoca/ RO
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY

2010 ArtPress 365, March
2010 FlavorWire, May 6th
2010 ARtDaily, June 11th