Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 27. (Budapest, 2009)

Márta KOVALOVSZKY: Unfinished Process

MÁRTA KOVALOVSZKY UNFINISHED PROCESS For Hungarian textiles, the 1970s opened under the glow of the "golden year" of 1968, and came to an end in the alluring light of a new way of thinking. The historical significance of this era and the developments which fundamentally changed, indeed in a sense "abolished" the classical art of textiles, become clearer. The "great adventure" of Hungarian textiles (to use Péter Fitz's phrase) was not of course insensitive to international developments. General art currents, exchanges of ideas among artists and their work, and the intertwining threads of artistic contacts created a lively and stimulating atmosphere for art in Hungary. It was an intellectual current whose driving force swept artists over the barriers of official policy, style and administration and into open waters. In the early 1970s, when Hungarian textile artists managed to get their work to the great international venues (the Lausanne Textile Biennale starting 1963, Fiberart International in the USA starting 1969, and, most importantly for Hungarians, the Lódz Triennale, which itself started in 1972), the place and role of Hungarian textile art in the wider world started to become apparent to both artists and the interested public. This subject deserves a study on its own. I hasten to add that space limitation prohibits any discussion of artists who pursued the classical tradition. It is a delight to art historian to see the humble devotion and industry, and the brilliant technique and devilish virtuosity that have kept so alive as, with unquestioning naturalness, they carry on and preserve this centuries-old visual tradition. The work of Gizi Solti and Rózsa Polgár of the great generation, and Zsuzsa Péreli and Judit Nagy among the younger generation, are landmarks along this route. Purity of expression, regular forms and the serene seriousness which pervades their compositions are all parts of their basic tone, and have, since the mid-1970s, been supplemented by an inclination to the ironic and the grotesque. It is a joy to observe how many fascinating ideas and convincing achievements have taken form within the classical framework, and it is enviable how quietly and generously they have accepted and safeguarded their position within textile art. "I am very glad that so many of you have come off the wall, so that a bit of wall remains for me. I am ashamed to say it, but I really like this gobelin weaving technique," said Ilona Fürtös of her weeks spent in Velem.

1 On Judit Nagy's first great work, she wrote: "weaving - it's a way of life!" Work based on the classic concept of textiles has its own indisputable historic significance, and the history of modern Hungarian textiles cannot be conceived or described without it,

2 but is not the present subject of discussion. Instead we will look at some developments which - if only temporarily - put textile art on completely new and different foundations.

3 The Textil-Falikép '68 [Textiles-Murals] exhibition of 1968 opened an imaginary 153