Although there are many shades of gray between black and white, the prominent Slovak artist, musician, and photographer Mariusa Bartona "I'm not interested in that," he says in an interview with "Vijesti," noting that the world is already colorful enough, and that all those many colors sometimes cause saturation.
That is why his photographs are purified, seemingly simple, monochrome - black and white, but with an authentic composition and atmosphere. During 2025, he presented himself worldwide with the cycle "Polarity", including in Montenegro, at the Modern Gallery of the Public Institution Museums and Galleries of Podgorica, in cooperation with the Embassy of Slovakia.
"The 'Polarity' photo series represents a polarized, dilapidated, destroyed world. Everything is black and white, plus and minus. The photos and the visual language I use thus reflect my view of reality and the world, as well as my vision of polarity. In short, between the two divided sides lies my view of life and the world," he explains in an interview for "Vijesti".
Although we often hear that not everything is black and/or white, Barton believes that it can be viewed that way, revealing how he himself, through a black and white perspective, experiences everyday life, society, and the world in which we live.
"Our world is not a very nice place. I would even say it's a complete disaster. Of course, there are many shades of gray between black and white, but that doesn't interest me. I'm interested and want to see what others don't see, which is why my work is focused on a personal perspective and speaks about what I see and how I see it, and what I want to convey as information to others," says Barton.
His works focus on fine art, minimal art, street art, portraiture, still life, as well as free photomontage, and all of this, almost always, in monochrome.
“It's all about expression. Black and white photography gives me more ways and more opportunities to express myself. Color sometimes takes away the essence of what black and white can say. That's why I chose that approach and technique. Colors actually distract me from what I want to express and show, because there are often too many of them. Life around us is certainly already (enough) colorful, so I think that black and white technique and that view are the best way to convey my vision and image of everything that surrounds me,” he sums up.
Curator of his series of exhibitions “Polarity”, Marian Pušer, points out that Barton's collection of photographs can be compared to an ancient Greek rhapsody due to its uniqueness and beautiful yet dramatic aesthetic.
"It is no coincidence that the series of works by Marius Barton is called 'Polarity' or 'Black and White Rhapsody'. In the dictionary of foreign words, I read that a rhapsody is an ancient Greek epic poem with a heroic theme, a modern lyric poem with a sublime content, an instrumental composition with a dramatic content. No matter how I look at Marius' photographs, I can notice each of these comparisons in them, because they are all compositions with unusual themes and with beautiful and dramatic content," he believes.
Given that Barton speaks openly and extremely subjectively about his photographs, and everything else, this is how he answers the question of how he perceives the comments and interpretations of the audience and critics about his own art.
"Honestly? Who cares. That's not my problem. I'm an artist. When a photograph goes public, I stand behind it. I don't like to explain photographs and talk about them individually, I don't like to interpret them for others. Everyone experiences them in their own way. In that context, it's important to me what the audience sees, because sometimes they notice something that I, as the author, didn't pay attention to. The vision is not only the author's, but also the viewer's," the artist states.
Barton emphasized that photography should speak for itself, not be explained to the viewer who should find the story in it. Summing up his impressions from numerous exhibitions in the past period, he emphasized that the impressions regarding the exhibition were positive and that the exhibition was well received - in Budapest, Rome, Vienna, and even Podgorica.
"It was great everywhere. It was my first time in Podgorica, although I didn't have time to get to know the city better. The morning after the exhibition opened, I left for Slovakia. These visits are always short and everything always happens quickly. I was in New York in September and October, in Podgorica in December, then back to Slovakia and then back to New York. The exhibition was well received everywhere, indeed, in Vienna, Rome, Budapest, Podgorica...", Barton adds.
Listing numerous world cities and metropolises of art, dynamism and lifestyle, he himself confirms that cities inspire him in their own way. However, not all of them.
"I will answer your question about cities, street photography and inspiration in a pictorial way and everything will be clear to you. In New York, I took about 7.000 photos in one month. It is an incredible city: fast, loud, dynamic, intense. The whole world is in Manhattan. For me, it is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. No city can compare to New York - not Paris, not Rome, not Vienna. And that's it," the photographer concludes.
Barton is a big name in the world of music, both in Slovakia and in the former Czechoslovakia, where he had a great career. He reveals to "Vijesti" that he recognizes a strong connection between photography and music, but also that today he is much more dedicated to photography, while he says that he has closed the music chapter in his life.
"I've been involved in music my whole life. I played bass professionally, I've been through rock, jazz and many other genres... Of course there's a connection between music and photography, it's simply a sense of composition, balance and aesthetics. And balance has to be felt. In both music and visual art, there's a law of composition. You have to know how to arrange elements, details, you have to have a feeling. That's the job of an artist," says Barton, who was a member of one of the most famous musical groups in Slovakia and collaborated with numerous pop and rock artists.
"Today I teach at a private music academy in Bratislava, work with students, create my art, travel and don't have much time for gigs and concerts. That's how I'm still in music. On the other hand, photography now offers me much more, when it comes to art. Music is a thing of the past for me. I've already talked too much about it, that's a closed chapter," he says.
However, it is known that each of his exhibitions is accompanied by adequate music, of his choice.
“That's right, the music just goes with my photos. With the 'Polarity' cycle it's always the same music - Miles Davis and Brazilian music, lots of rhythms, fusion...,” points out Barton.
Moments from everyday life
Curator Marian Puser said that the exhibition "Polarity" depicts the author's unique view of the world and its often imperceptible details.
"The work of Marius Barton, born in Bratislava, is characterized by a precisely constructed and mature authorial style, with an emphasis on the contrast of lines and shapes, minimalist purity of composition, and exclusively in a monochromatic, black and white expression," noted Puser.
Barton revealed more to "Vijesti" about the process of creating photographs, which, he says, is sometimes long and thoughtful, and sometimes just a moment, a trigger...
“It all depends. Sometimes the preparation itself really takes a long time, and sometimes one moment, one second on the street is enough. I am from Slovakia and often photographs are created as moments from everyday life. Some photographs are carefully prepared, especially those depicting still life, because of the composition. It is something that can happen by chance. It all depends on my vision. It also depends on the situation, but there always has to be something that touched me... When I see a scene, when I recognize something, then it touches me and I try to photograph it in the best way to convey my own vision, feeling and view. So, I combine, there is both preparation and the moment. I try to capture purified scenes and landscapes, and then I try to make a good composition. On the other hand, sometimes something completely random inspires me on the street. It all depends on the moment,” Barton pointed out.
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