perpetual echo
Sculpture Exhibition, Gallery 101 Melbourne
sculptures by filip a toth 2000
In this exhibition, Filip A. Toth explores the central human experience of the constant recurrence of memories and emotional feelings which are, for each one of us, unique. Particularly sensitive to the nuances of emotional expression, Toth meets the challenge of encoding the echo of his own perceptions into permanent, yet dynamic, sculptural forms.
Inspired by an extensive knowledge of the traditions of world sculpture, his images become sculptural analogies with states of mind. Drawing, in part, on monumental Modernism and the challenging evocations of Surrealism, Toth explores the mysterious meanings with which we invest the myriad forms of nature.
Archetypal hieratic forms such as ‘Amaterasu’ and ‘Regina’, drawn deep from great world cultures, re-appear invested with power and mystery. The moral decay of ‘Herod’ is re-discovered in the random forms of nature and only partly liberated from the stone. Toth’s pleasure in manipulating the inherent qualities of stone and bronze is palpable, showing a clear technical mastery of his medium. Contrasts of surface texture, colour band the natural flow of the material are used to create a powerful aesthetic experience. Despite their modest scale, Toth’s works often seem to suggest ideas of fully resolved ‘maquettes’ for large monumental projects. While aesthetes will treasure them as ‘objects d’art’, his sculptures are, in a true sense, environmental forms which distill and express the vast landscape of Australia - a constant echo of nature and human experience.
As we absorb the essence of Toth’s powerful images we are inexorably drawn into a process which relates our individual experience to that projected by the works. Thus, the evocative forms come to echo aspects of our past, in a universal sense, as well as that of the creator.
Henri Bergson, the great French philosopher, once wrote ‘To perceive is but an opportunity to remember’.
This profound observation about the inevitable relationship between present and past in human experience sum up, for me, the essence of this exhibition.
The strength and conviction of Filip Toth’s vision is such that one would fully expect to recognise the spirit of the works exhibited her in major monumental commissions in the future, both in Australia and overseas.
-James D. Wingate
Filip Toth
Sculptures and Paintings: Recent work
9-22 July 2017
This exhibition brings together Toth’s inner struggle with the on-going tension between representational and abstracted images. This has been a focus of the artist from early in his career and still provides the inspiration for his works today.
Sculptures like Anunnaki and The Warrior extend his observations and invite the viewer to experience the emotion inherent in the works, leading one to a point of self-contemplation.
Here the artist’s work comes into a realm of its own, blending contemporary iconography with ancient mythology to create a powerful, timeless sculptural statement.
The exhibition also includes a number of representational paintings depicting the still, silent end-point of the struggle to survive. Using the infinitely rich and loaded medium of painting, Toth bears witness to the sublime beauty of nature and its harsh reality.
Gallery 5II
IMPERISHABLES
Sculptures and Paintings
2022 gallery fortyfive downstairs
In my recent body of work, I have embarked on a rediscovery of the most immersive approach to exploring volume, as materials grip and segment within three-dimensional bodies, forming distinct masses. Throughout the history of culture, however, this sensory approach has often been overshadowed by an intellectual understanding of familiar objects' forms. Thought, content, and illustration have suppressed the essence of form, and description has taken precedence over true comprehension.
My sculptures emerge from a deeply personal iconology that resists simplistic symbolic interpretations. The primary objective behind my creations is to grant new identities to materials like metal and stone, encoding messages of human emotion, solitude, and the inevitability of death within their forms. These are the fundamental aspects that future generations will inevitably confront as long as our planet, Earth, endures. By merging metal and stone forms, I aim to evoke the fragility of human existence, while also alluding to powerful monolithic shapes tarnished by the patina of time. This endeavour seeks to make visible, or perhaps even invisible, fragments of the human experience.
This new collection of sculptures explores the profound depths of human experience, delving into the emotions that often accompany our struggles. These artworks celebrate these emotions through the use of simple abstract shapes and forms. By distorting the human figure into elegant and simplified forms, they create a captivating tension and unspoken dialogue between the viewer and the sculpture. The narrative of each character contrasts with the sleek, high-tech surface finish and vibrant colours, enhancing their symbolic impact. While each sculpture stands as an individual piece, they also share common emotive and spiritual qualities that bind them together.
Above all, my sculptures convey a timeless essence, capturing fragments from the past and bridging the gap between past and future. This concept holds a certain air of mystery, evoking a sense of intrigue and wonder.
Filip Toth