Új Művészet, 1992 (3. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1992-10-01 / 10. szám
POSTER Baráth produces congenial graphical solutions, since he is concerned with the same questions as the authors and directors in the theatre: the psychology of modern man, the dark sides of civilization, the contrast of politics and humanism. In his works the message of the works of the world’s great authors becomes authentic, filtered through local topicality. Baráth interprets the Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Serbian and Croation plays with authenticity because he feels the contradictions of an ambiguous world on his own skin: he feels the faith, and distortions of political slogans, the tension hidden behind a false idyll, the calm before the storm, and open violence. He also suffers from being easthbound and limited by mediocrity. Among others his posters made to Örkény’s Scenario, (1986), Gábor Gergey’s Who has the gun? (1988), Radoslav Pavlovic’s Mala, Bulgakov’s Ivan the Terrible (1985), Ottó Tolnai’s Clearance sale (1978) and Ivana Dimic’s Before the mirror (1986), demonstrate his political and social sensitivity. The most salient feature of Baráth’s posters at first glance is their reticence. The artist formulates his message in simple sentences, condenses what he wants to say into a single, easily comprehensible image. He attains the obligatory eye-catching effect by creating an expressive pictorial metapher with the individual application of the principle of montage. The backgrounds of his posters are mostly homogeneous colour surfaces, red or sky-blue, but he likes to use also the much less decorative dark grey. He limits or divides this surface rising from its environment as a compact patch with accurately calculated stripes and lines. If he conceives the plane surface as an abstract medium, he applies a diagonal square net. Figures and objects are placed into this abstract, static structure. Baráth likes symmetry, and this gives his graphic works sugestivity and monumentalness. Symmetry is dictated by the human face or body, sometimes by the geometric form serving emphasis or typography closed in the centre. These severe solutions are represented by the avenging angel of Anna Édes (1983), by the interlacing hands on the poster made for the Belgrade performance of The Tót Family (1986) or by the twins of In a little country-house (1985) and by the conductor’s gesture on Krakpatrik (1985). One of the artist’s favourite means of expression is a tiny sway from perfect balance. It creates a playful effect on the poster of the 32nd Theatricals (1987) where you see two asymetrically placed blackblue dolphins in a red field. On the poster advertizing Rudi Seligo’s play Ana (1984) you see the contrast of two hands of the same shape but of different colour placed along a vertical line, and the grotesqueness of the man’s head cut in half illustrating Ottó Tolnai’s Clearance sale suggests a threatening disharmony. Baráth is especially in his element when, advertizing Albee’s play, he creates the witty metapher of A delicate balance with the humorous-absurd figure of the rhinoceros biting into his own behind. The photo is in general connected with the recording of a chance moment, so it seems that its use here contradicts the firm picture structure but Baráth cuts round (continued on page 8}.) Baráth Ferenc: Stanislaw Witkiewicz: Egy kis udvarházban In a little country-house, 1984 39