Publications
From the exhibition folder (“Contemporary Iconography”):
Unusual world of the Everyman
„Only the initial idea exists, a few chosen elements,
and then I remain in the dialog with the work”.
/Martin Barysch/
At the beginning there was… a happening. From it , by the way of long, intensive and purposeful work the creation emerged. Every bit of work on it was planned, conscious actions were taken. Despite that the final result can always surprise. Like life itself. One just needs to choose one’s path skilfully and not to stray from it.
Vigrafia is a technique with many possibilities. It joins together elements of painting, graphics, drawing and photography. All the fragments of the future composition are digitalized and then fused together in the course of many hours. The process resembles applying successive layers of glaze on the oil paintings of the old Flemish masters. The final creation arises as a digital collage of the elements belonging to traditional arts.
Each vigrafia tells the story of the Everyman and his world. The tale about a real man is extrapolated into the realm of artistic magic where the subtlety of beauty is intertwined with the twilight of mystery. All this is accompanied by vivid colors and pure emotions they hide. The protagonist of our times is lost sometimes, sometimes he is building his relations with the outside world and sometimes he just observes it, all the while we are accompanying him in his journey, comfortably hidden on the other side of the composition.
Marcin Barysz creates unusual worlds – magical worlds on the surface, but at the same time firmly grounded in reality, where „The Shaman/Szaman” becomes an idol not necessarily idealized and our actions are watched by many eyes „We are not alone/Nie jesteśmy sami”. The creations, touching deep existential questions provoke us to face the very same questions. The artist observes, analyzes and actively takes part in life he documents in his works. He shows us people, animals, landscapes unified by his story without words, full of emotions and colour. He offers an idea, a tool for us to use when contemplating the painting. What will we do with it is up to us.
Aleksandra Madej – Art Gallery Varietes 2016
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„It’s alive!” – about the inter-technique of the works of Martin Barysz.
The final effect is always not so much unintentional as unplanned.
Only the initial idea exists, a few chosen elements and then,
I remain in constant dialog with the work, action and reaction,
each change modifies the whole work and provokes more changes
/Marcin Barysz/
When we talk about art and it’s techniques to a large audience, it is painting, sculpture, graphics or drawing that come to mind first. Some also point out to the fact that sometimes those techniques can be fused to create artistic hybrids that better reflect vision of the artist, his character and the paths of his ideas. This was the case with Salvador Dali’s collages or, (looking into the creative backyard of Polish art.), wildly recognized internationally Tadeusz Kantor’s assemblages. There, the elements are combined in search of true self, new and fresh expression that does not hint of routine, or secondary academicism from under the banner „ nothing is new”. Our contemporary world, young media, and virtual reality open new forms of expression for the artists. More than ever before, the artist becomes the creator-explorer-scientist with uncharted possibilities of creation, combining what’s known and real in the realm of art with what is virtual and digital.
Marcin Barysz is an artist consistent in his actions, and incessantly searching for ways of artistic exploration. He argues: „..I do not feel at home neither in computer graphics, nor in photomontage and photomanipulation, even though I use them” That is why, he has chosen the path bordering many different techniques. From each of them he takes elements corresponding to his plan, in order to combine painting, graphics, drawing and photography in one artistic space, for which digital virtuality becomes an incubator. Each, prepared in advance fragment of the future composition is digitalized, and then fused with the others, during long hours of work – the process, that is fully conscious, and in its arduous effort resembles applying subsequent layers of glaze on oil paintings of the old Flemish masters. The final work arises as a digital collage made up from the elements of the traditional arts. Collage, that is multidimensional not only because it combines various elements in one creation, but also because it unites the real with the virtual. Successive stages can bring surprising effects, but the artist invariably controls the process taking each step deliberately. He leads a dialog with his creation, letting it evolve and mature, while for each action of the Object he responds with the reaction of the Creator. The virtuality of the artistic process gave rise to the name of this creative technique. „Vigrafia” can be defined as a graphic born in virtual reality from photographic, graphic and pictorial elements.
Vigrafias, what are they like? In the name itself one can find individual character and style of the composition, attracting the eye with dreamy richness of colour and shape, and for which, the recognizable reality is but the starting point in the formation of the worlds full of fantasy, emotions and fairy-tales quality. Compositions of Martin Barysz are expressive, partly figurative, partly abstract. All of these elements are mixed in varied proportions, and breathe freshness and intensity of color full of light. The author uses all the colors of his imagination, while being open to the associations and sensitivities of his audience. In them, we are seeking references recognizable to our eyes that are accustomed to specific cultural norms, at the same time seeing reflections of other cultures, civilizations and stylizations. All these elements form rich expression of the creations, graphic, but also fully pictorial. The compositions combine figurative elements with abstraction, and each of the works of Marcin Barysz is unique, in spite of diversity of methods and forms of expression - coherent, and intriguing by it’s form. It evokes emotions and reflection, forces us to flow trough all it’s fragments. The art of Marcin Barysz is transregional, combining various trends and demonstrating that modern technology can be of service to Beaux Arts, instead of being opposed to them.
Aleksandra Madej, Kraków 2015
(http://varietes-artgallery.blogspot.de/2015/05/to-zyje-o-inter-technice-prac-marcina.html)
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From the exhibition folder (“Concentration I”):
Beginning in the year 2005, photography started to take increasingly important place in the life of Marcin Barysz. With time, it became the medium for creation of the new reality in the form of digital graphics.
Initial works reflect reality relatively faithfully. Interventions into the depicted world are minimal. The author alters the colors, their temperature, saturation and contrast, creates subtle impression of pictorial texture, corrects perspective by amplifying it’s shortening effect, finally, modifies each element of the composition according to his concept. This creative technique was used in exotic shots from Sri Lanka, among others.
The above actions are but the beginning of the artistic path of Marcin Barysz – his opening to new possibilities. In subsequent realizations, gradual abandoning of visible reality becomes apparent. The significance of the object gives way to the importance of the form. Sometimes, compositions contain only traces of the real world, or even become entirely abstract. Photography, the starting point in the creative process, begins to fulfill the role of the medium, and it’s themes become unimportant.
The works of Marcin Barysz constitute the collage of sorts, realized on the digital platform. The primary substance is almost invariably photography. The takes are always by the author, and sometimes, they are very particular: fragments of the wall with an interesting texture, pieces of graffiti, cracked stains of paint, or dirty window pane. Because of all those elements, compositions created are characterized by the unique color palette, and richness of the texture. From the initial photographs remains very little. Application of the successive layers of transparent, or semitransparent, permeating panels creates entirely new quality. Marcin Barysz’s compositions are very pictorial, full of nuances and juxtapositions of unexpected colors. The artist does not attempt to allude to any artistic schools or trends. The creations usually arise intuitively, without a priori thought-out concepts. Quite often, the sole inceptive idea is the choice of one, or more photographs that somehow harmonize with each other. After that, a dialog ensues between the creator and the material – the nascent image. The effects of subsequent actions inspire, in turn, the creative process itself, like in a “cause and effect” chain of action. Sometimes, it is only during this process, that the specific anecdote, and the message are born.
It merits mentioning, that Marcin Barysz uses tools offered by computer graphics programs with restraint, sensitivity and above all, in a very creative way. He calls his technique “vigrafia” (from virtual graphic – virtualna grafika) He signs all the works: “Martin B” due to the functioning on the artistic scene of two different countries.
All of his realizations are titled, and some of the titles suggest the direction of interpretation. At the same time though, the author stresses freedom of reading of his compositions. Very interesting group of works are self-portraits. They depict, not so much the looks, as the current psycho-physiological condition of the creator. They are the auto-analysis of sorts. Martin Barysz comments: “I consider my current situation as an inspiration. I observe with interest what is happening to me.”
Patryk Oczko, (assistant professor of the Faculty of Art, City Museum, Tychy), Tychy, 2015