Péter Hecker 2003

Péter Hecker's latest paintings

Hecker's photo-based, social-critical works from the early 90's were transformed in 1999 to paintings that present strange characters in absurd situations found in everyday life. kArton Galéria exhibited his works from this 'series' last year. The bases of the paintings are mostly private photos which are selected by the artist from the Horus Archívum of Sándor Kardos, director of photography.

The present exhibition differs from the previous one in a sense that the photos, and the paintings made from the photos, are more closely related to personal experiences and characters (Ági, Gizi, Kati, - my wives and I; It is good to be an artist, I give to others while I enrich myself; Sára is shaking the devil in a cage.) Subtitles in the pictures are sometimes ironically expressed as confessions.

Hecker considers his works realistic. However, they can not really be characterised by any of the realism-concepts applied in art history so far. He does not try to paint his views true to nature. Stylistically he reminds us of the "naive painters." He is interested in the phenomenon "what he 'realises'."

There is carefully examined competence hiding beyond the apparent naivety. There are no unnecessary forms in the pictures, colouring is careful and smooth, the colour of the outlines is delicate, brushwork is accurately built up, and the stage of abstraction is always unified. The pictures have the same effect in the elegant environment of kArton Galéria as in Surány, (in 526. public catering unit) where the artist sometimes shows his works.*

Péter Hecker's CD-ROM made for Attila Hazai's short stories is also available at the kArton gellery.

*(selection from Eszter Radák's writing published in Balkon in December 2001)