Mészáros Júlia, N.: 35 éves a Győri Művésztelep. Történeti áttekintés, művek, életrajzi adatok, beszámoló a jubileumi találkozóról - Győri művészettörténet 4. (Győr, 2003)

N. Mészáros Júlia: A Győri Művésztelep működésének és alkotótevékenységének 35 éve

renewal and efforts for their realization was actively supported by the sculptor and restorer István Ézsiás, who later settled in Győr and was also engaged in autonomous scultpture, furthermore he also possessed experience of organizing artists’ symposia and mounting exhibitions. It was they who helped through their ideas and suggestions to transform the artists’ symposium from painters’ symposium to sculptors’ symposium, widened the range of artists to be invited, although for quite a time it was still only artists considered suitable for selection from direct applicants through repeated higher controls who were allowed to participate in the sympsoium’s work. The situation was different, as for the participation of local artists, whose number was also increased by young artists arriving in Győr on the city’s initiative (Agnes Babos, Gábor Kovács, Sándor Farsang, Barna Bardócz), weakening the chances of creation of the local art teachers who used to participate regularly.

In the second creative period of the artists’ symposium, the twin town relationships continued extending, artists of twin cities of Western countries and modernity, and the local social, political and professional leadership opened up towards contemporary art. Although at the beginning of this period reports still had to be given to party committees and competent ministries on the ongoing work and ask for preliminary opinion of the central professional organs on the artists that had applied for creative work at the symposion, which owing to the value judgement serving or overfulfilling political expectations restricted the real openness until the middle of the 80s and in several cases hindered the creation of some larger works for public sites and negatively influenced even the enrichment of the collection, the control could not hinder and make for the creative work of progressive spirit impossible to take root at the artists’ symposium of Győr, thereby clearing the way indirectly for a creative period of far freer spirit, concentrating solely on creative work which is free of ideological limits.

As a result of the significant changes of reorganization, first the RÁBA Carriage and Waggon Works, then the local insdustrial companies as well as after its establishment the Graphic Workshop of Győr became the scenes of work at the artists’ symposium. The painters put two rooms of the City Drawing Circle as further places of creation to use. The chief organizer remained Károly Góczán, his work was helped and controlled by Lajos Finta and an organizing committee.

The first appreciable works in respect of their artistic standard were born in the optimistic atmosphere suggesting utilization of the opportunities provided by the new environment, using the expensive and inaccesible materials, machines necessary for creation without restraint, even if we can only give a broad outline of this on the basis of the collection of the museum, for it was still not an objective, professional jury or the artist making an offer that decided on the

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