Reefs of Noise: László Mulasics

Reefs of Noise is the premier exhibition of the new and improved Várfok Galéria. Celebrating the life and works of the painter László Mulasics (1954-2001), Reefs of Noise showcases a selection of his purest paintings from, arguably, his most important creative period.

László emerged from Hungary's New Sensibility movement in the 1980’s as a figurative painter creating sensual and mysterious works awash with expressive colours. But, by the mid 80’s Laszlo put down his paint brush and began experimenting with bee’s wax. This was a long experimental period for László as the encaustic technique is notorious for being one of the most difficult mediums to master.  However, László's passion for his materials led him to discover new ways to manipulate and control the wax, making him one of a very small, niche group of creatives who can truly call themselves ‘encaustic artists’.

 Locked Stadium

1988 encaustic, lead, bronze sieve, wood on wood panel 

During this period László also shunned his colourful palette in favour of a darker aesthetic.  “While the majority of Mulasics’ work from the mid 80’s and early 90s was incredibly dark and contained a lot of black, we should be careful not to label it his ‘Black Period’ but rather his  ‘Colour Minimal’ period,” explains Varfok’s resident art historian Kriszti Kovács.  “His quiet approach to colour does mean his paintings are melancholic but they are also very meditative.”

Indeed, László Mulasics’ work has a certain meditative aura about it - his strong painted gestures have a mysterious and ambiguous quality to them which perhaps they would not have had were he to have worked with a more vibrant colour scheme. The ambiguity of Mulasics' work can be attributed to his keen interest in nature, scientific discoveries and the cosmos.

 Constellation

1996, encaustic, oil, enamel, canvas

Motifs re-occur in several of his pieces such as the dog, horse and the figure at Hang Csou bay. Most of  these  motifs were taken from antique books which Mulasics enjoyed collecting - if only for the diagrams and illustrations contained within. The cabinet at the back of the Várfok is dedicated to some of the motifs Mulasics was so fond of. These never before seen mixed media pieces present the motifs in copper ink within a bold geometric frame.

 Interferences

1998, encaustic, oil, enamel, canvas

What is most striking about the work of László Mylasics is the sheer scale of his work. When one takes into consideration the skill required to create such enormous pieces using  a technique as tricky as encaustic then our admiration towards this incredibly talented artist grows.
 
“His pieces are so large that they require a lot of space in order for us to truly appreciate them,” Kriszti smiles, “But I think our new gallery does him justice.” 

Untitled - 099 & 104

1997, encaustic, ink, copper, oil on paper

For more information about the exhibition, head over to the Várfok website