Collage paintings - 2021
The conclusion of László Najmányi's essay on contemporary American representational painting expresses the forced acceptance of the young generation of painters regarding their attitude. Despite the countless declarations of the death of painting and art, they continue their work unabated with the awareness of this necessity. "The terror of the new has ceased; everyone does as they please, and artworks are only good if someone buys them. Young painters freely quote, borrow from the masters of the past, and they also have their own discoveries. For them, painting is the most important form of self-expression. They have realized that following the abstract trends of the past offers far fewer opportunities and uniqueness than representational painting, where they can create truly individual works with their own signature figures, experiences from their own lives, and events that are markedly distinct from the works of others." Najmányi's words could not describe more accurately what prevails in contemporary representational painting. His bittersweet ending is also a happy acknowledgment that the tradition of painting lives on and will continue in the future, but he regrets that this motivation is driven by the needs of the capitalist consumer society.