Magyar Hírek, 1984 (37. évfolyam, 2-26. szám)
1984-06-09 / 12. szám
A YOUNG CRAFTSMAN Now it's furniture — now it's a toy Csaba Ásztai, a young man, has headed the Zebegény summer camp oi amateur artists working with enamely year after year, he also regularly takes part in the biannual Salgótarján exhibitions showing the best of its kind. Back in his university years, he also exhibited at the Szolnok painters’ triannual, and still paints oils, when he has the time. In addition, he tried his hand as an artist in metal in the seventies, at the Miskolc quadriennale, and has been a regular participant at the Miskolc graphics biennale and since 1980 also a creative member of the Szentendre graphics workshop. When one discovers that this young man from Debrecen is in fact first of all a mechanical engineer, and design is his No. 1. preference, the question inevitably arises: where does he put his knowledge and many talents to use? Csaba Asztai works free-lance. He lives in Pomáz in a cottage he largely built himself, with his music teacher wife, and their little children. At Christmas 1980, he constructed a toy-house for his children out of some cardboard TV boxes. They liked it more than any of the other presents. This gave him the idea to build objects — this time out plywood of a more lasting materials. They are pieces of painted furniture as well as toys: a two-storey toyhouse, which is in fact made up of chairs, tables or toy storage boxes. In other words, the first furniture of the children. He developed the idea to the stage of a prototype, which he submitted to a competition of the Design Centre, and the then Ministry of Light Industry. His entry was not successful, but he was not discouraged. He continued to refine his concept in partnership with a graphic artist, Győző Vida, and sent his plans to Miami, to the international design competition of the Arango Foundation. He received “Honourable Mention” from the New York Metropolitan Museum in 1982 for his design, an Interplay Expo prize in Budapest at the 1983 International Fair, and a “Home” plaque in 1984. In the meantime he kept on designing, other toys, kindergarten symbols, equipment. Two cooperatives made prototypes of these. Recently television showed this toy-furniture, and that again gave an impetus to production and marketing, so that at last children will be able to get hold of these products that adults the world over have praised. AGNES SZÉCHY Three booklets from Passaic The Hungarian Folk Museum in Passaic N. J. is one of the important cultural centres of American Hungarians. Exhibitions follow oneanother, and the variety of programmes is indicated by publicity material published from time to time. The museum is qualified to represent the ethnic culture of the considerable Hungarian population of the Eastern coast in a manner which shows ties with the old country to be natural. Judit and Kálmán Magyar arranged an even more comprehensive exhibition in Trenton, sponsored by the State Museum of New Jersey, calling it “The Hungarians”. This exhibition simultaneously represented ties with the old country, and the still flourishing traditional culture. Richly decorated peasant tools of trade, personal belongings were shown tastefully arranged side by side with pieces of recently made pieces of clothing keeping the traditional patterns alive, as well as decorative objects inspired by folk-art. Judit Magyar prepared material for those interested in Hungarian culture offering suitable information on the most important events of Hungarian history, and on immigration. The booklet deals with the origin and history of the Hungarian nation, and the ethnic characteristics of the century old culture of Hungarian immigrants, with the usual objectivity and brevity of catalogues. Objects shown exemplify the wealth of styles and patterns of folk-art, and the ways in which archaic patterns and techniques come to life in the hands of Hungarian Americans, incorporating external influences in the new popular art forms. Objects made by peasants, and masterly wood-carvings by János Tokay were shown side-by-side at the exhibition. Besides the exhibition mentioned, the activities of the Hungarian Museum of Passaic also include new books, information booklets and expert descriptions of folk-art. Katalin Kristó-Nagy and Margit Nagy- Jara wrote a valuable summary of Hungarian needle-work (Hungarian Embroideries, Published by Hungarian Folk Museum and Püski- Corvin, 1983. NJ and NY). Offering a concise review of the Hungarian embroidery is by no means easy considering the great historical traditions, the variety of techniques and the range of materials and tools used. Yet precisely this is what the two authors accomplished. They point out that the suddenly increased demand for embroidery and pomp in the 19th century was based on historic traditions. The roots of colourful Hungarian embroidery are in the many centuries, old culture of the people. The patterns of the coronation robe, or ornaments of royal and church textiles, the ornamentation of metal and wooden objects are all indirectly mirrored in the Hungarian folk-art. The authors present Hungarian folk ornamental art classified in terms of districts. They selected a total of 14 district groups from the four great regions, Northern Hungary, The Great Plains, Transdanubia and Transylvania. It would be only a slight exaggeration to say that embroidery was a reflection in miniature of all of the changes popular culture went through. It assimilated Turkish flower patterns, those of the Renaissance, and many others. They also discuss the disappearance of home-made dyes of vegetable origin as manufacturing industry progressed, and the vivid colours that replaced them. Progress of the weaving industry produced new textiles, which offered still further opportunities for embroidery. Economic progress and. social movements produced boom conditions for embroidery, though not at the same time in all of the districts. Serfs were not permitted to wear richly embroidered clothes, but when serfdom was abolished, the decoration of personal belongings and clothes began to reflect a different kind of social hierarchy. Symbolic meaning of the colours also changed. Mourning in white, or brides dressed in black, went out as black became associated with old age and death in the 19th century. Embroideries today are perhaps the richest Hungarian ornamental art devoid of earlier symbolic meaning, and they are well described in this volume by Katalin Kristó-Nagy and Margit Jara-Nagy. Evelyn Domján’s booklet, “Párta” (girl’s headdress) was also published by the Hungarian Museum (Párta. The Crown Jewels of the Village. Published by Hungarian Folk Museum 1983.). The párta was one of the most beautiful pieces of a girls wear, particularly in its Kalotaszeg and Torockó variations. The historic roots relate to the band adorning the heads of maidens as symbols of their virginity. The párta is rigid, heavy, expensive and uncomfortable, and began to appear in this form towards the end of the 18th century. Some districts spent more and more on costumes in the wake of economic progress. The párta, for instance, were embroidered with gold thread, and their value often exceeded that of a calf. They showed that the parents were well-to-do, and would offer a suitable dowry to their daughter. Nubile girls wore a párta from their confirmation to the day of their wedding, as an indispensable accessory of their festive Sunday dress. The bridal crown became one of the typical features of the rapid transformation of peasant costumes after th'e abolition of serfdom, and particularly at the time of the Austro—Hungarian Monarchy. One of the most characteristic was that of the Matyó, and the Sárköz variation, richly decbrated with myrtles, also called párta in the district. Once the wedding was over, these carefully made bridal párta were kept under glass, nicely framed, in the best room of the home. Evelyn Dómján does not only offer a review of the párta in history, but also useful advise on how to make them. ILDIKÓ KRIZA 29
