In Memoriam Bartók 1973

Endre Balint made "In Memoriam Bartók" using paint to create a really interesting surface that's both flat and full of depth, like looking into a shallow pool. It's all about how the paint is laid down, thin in some spots, maybe even just stained into the canvas, then built up in others to create these almost ghostly shapes. I’m really drawn to the way the composition feels both carefully considered and kind of accidental. The shapes and colours sit together like they’re in conversation. Check out the black and white skull motif – it's both haunting and playful, sitting right next to those lightly drawn, unfinished shapes as if artmaking is a constant state of becoming. Balint makes me think of Paul Klee, who also loved to play with symbols and create these little worlds within his paintings. Like Klee, Balint reminds us that art is a process, not a fixed thing, and that it’s okay to embrace ambiguity and multiple readings.