How we see the world and how we read images are primary concerns for Bartok. The social comment has been an ever increasing presence in his work, with the use of humour as a subversive tactic ‘to see ourselves more clearly’. The deadpan black line used since 2015 alludes to a colouring-in book, a resource that could be seen as a coercive indoctrinator of children to the social conventions and power structures of Western society; Bartok seems to unwind these graphic ontologies by way of mirroring the darker aspects of the world around us, quoting seemingly benign objects or situations and collaging them into new and unexpected relationships.

 'Bartok is part of a long lineage of artists who have dipped their hand into the incessant stream of ephemeral, media images and appropriated them to a critique of the conditions of our social existence, of how our norms and behaviours are manipulated for base commercial imperatives. I can’t think of anybody working today with drawing, painting and print media who does it better. His selection of source images, guided by a sure feeling for contradiction, exposes the deep strangeness of what the multitude are scrolling through daily.' - Joe Frost

Bartok is a 2022 MFA graduate of the National Art School, and has been a finalist in among others: The Kedumba Drawing Award (2024), The Waverley Art Prize (2022), Lester Prize for Portraiture (2020), The Kilgour Art Prize (2019) and Winner of the Fisher’s Ghost Award for Drawing, Painting and Printmaking (2016).

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025 420/69, Central Space, 20 Apr

Delineations, Flinders Street Gallery, 29 Mar - 5 Apr

2024 Including Words, Stanley Street Gallery, 28 Feb - 23 Mar

Tiles Gallery Fundraiser, Tiles Gallery, 23 Mar

2023 26.04.23 - 20.05.23, Home @735 Gallery, 26 Apr - 20 May

2022 Damien Minton Presents Political Posters Now, Goodspace Gallery and Damien Minton, 27 - 30 Apr

2019   The Paper Salon,  aMBUSH Gallery, 29 - 31 March

2018   Unlimited Sydney, Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, 13 - 16 Sep, Carriageworks Sydney

2017   Colouring Out, @RKD Gallery, 20 - 28 May, Canberra

2016   A Year in Preview, The New Standard Gallery, 21 Oct - 8 Nov

           28.9.16 - 23.10.16, Home @735 Gallery, 28 Sep - 23 Oct

           Churchie Emerging Artist Prize, Aug - Nov, QUT Art Museum, Brisbane

           Exploration 16, 31 May - 18 Jun, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne

           Green-eyed monster eating its own tail - Art Month Sydney, 5 - 20 Mar              

          YAI, M. Contemporary, 3 - 10 Feb    

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020 Remote Access, 11 Nov - 6 Dec, Galerie Pompom (project space), Chippendale

2017   Mandatory Field, 28 Sep - 28 Oct, The New Standard Gallery, Surry Hills

2017   Terms and Conditions, 13 - 30 Jul, Stacks Projects, Potts Point

2016   Very New Work, 6 Apr - 1 Mar, MOP Projects, Chippendale

 

SELECTED PRIZES AND AWARDS

FINALIST 2024 Kedumba Drawing Award

Calleen Art Award

FINALIST 2023 Vincent Prize

WINNER 2022 Max Foley Memorial Award

FINALIST 2022 Waverly Art Prize

Mosman Art Prize

FINALIST 2021 Grace Cossington Smith Art Prize

FINALIST 2020 Lester Prize for Portraiture

FINALIST 2019 Kilgour Art Prize

North Sydney Art Prize

FINALIST 2018 Blacktown Art Prize

FINALIST 2017 Mosman Art Prize

WINNER 2016 Fisher’s Ghost Art Award for Painting, Printmaking and Drawing

FINALIST 2016 Churchie Emerging Art Prize