Magyar Hírek, 1986 (39. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)
1986-03-28 / 6. szám
ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE PREVIOUS ONE In the Hungarian memory March is the month of liberty and of Sándor Petőfi—the events of the 15th of March 1848 are entwined with the figure of the poet, the central hero of the day. The previous issue of this journal presented the native land of Sándor Petőfi, the characteristic, beautiful environs of the Plains, the Kiskunság— including the National Park of Kiskunság established there, which preserved the flora and fauna of salty lakes, sand-dunes and several beautiful works of the folk-architecture in their pristine state. Two other articles also recalled memories of the 1848 — 49 Revolution. Iván Ordas gave details of the life of József Vidos, commander of the National Guard of County Vas. Vidos, an educated man born of a noble family, was an admirer and follower of Count István Széchenyi, then, when elected to parliament, he joined the liberals led by Lajos Kossuth. When the Revolution broke out he became one of the leaders of the National Guard. He fought in several battles, then retired to his family home at Mihályfa not even suspecting that the Habsburg military authorities had issued warrant against him. He escaped at the last minute, but fell ill with cholera in his wanderings, and died. Recently a street was named after József Vidos, and the road leading to the family grave, where his remains rest, was repaired. Károly László, whose adventurous life is the subject of Péter Bogáti’s article, fought too, in the 1848 — 49 Revolution as an artillery captain, then accompanied Kossuth on his exile in Turkey, and from there to the United States. During the years of his exile he amassed a small fortune by lumbering and trading in mahogany then, when he returned to Hungary, he became the 'Civil Engineer of the town of Kecskemét. Kossuth remembered László as a good fi iend to the end of his life, he even bei ame godfather to his son. The younger Károly László also became an mgineer, and went to work in India. Die godson of Lajos Kossuth died th -re later following an accident. Another article of the previous issue takes the reader to one of the noted spots of Budapest, the Vajdahunvad Castle. This peculiar architecture conglomerate is in the Városliget, on an island surrounded by a shallow, articificial lake. The original version was built to the design of Ignác Alpár for the 1896 exhibition held to celebrate a thousand years of Hungarian settlement. Its purpose was to demonstrate the major motives of typical architectural styles in the history of Hungary. Alpár designed his work rather freely based on the Castle of Vajdahunvad in Transylvania and other historic buildings. The exhibition building was constructed of temporary materials, for it was meant to be demolished later. But the Castle was so popular that it was eventually decided that it should be rebuilt using lasting materials. After demolishing the temporary structure, rebuilding began in 1904, and the Cast le of Vajdahunyad, as we know it, built of massive stuff, and now the home of the Agricultural Museum, was inaugurated in 1908. A scaled down replica of the church of Ják, built in th<> age of the Árpád Dynasty forms part of the conglomerate. An article by András B. Bálint in the Hungarian section of this issue describes the creative activities of the churches in Hungary. In the course of the Hungarian history the churches often took an important part in caring for the sick and the handicapped, and cooperation between the state and the churches, in our days again made possible charitable activities by the churches. When these lines will reach the readers, it will be around Easter, time to recall the ancient folk-customs, which gladden hearts everywhere in Hungary. Dezső Horváth’s article in the Hungarian section describes some of the variations of gift-giving and sprinkling the girls, which make Easter a colourful time. People at home in anthropology would obviously nod that, of course, the egg was a symbol of fertility right from ancient times in many parts of the world, and the sprinkling of the girls belongs to the same sphere of things, at most the methods changed over the centuries, the bucket of water a young man poured over the girl of his choice turned to Eau de Cologne propelled by aerosol which is sometimes more pleasant for the girl. One of the Easter folk customs is still alive which grew into a fine art in the course of time — and here I have in mind the decoration of painted eggs. Egg painting has innumerable variations — and degrees of refinement. The range goes from the simplest methods of colouring the eggs right to a technique using wax and a slatepencil. This is one of the nicest branches of the Hungarian folk-art, since it makes everybody happy. The one , who makes them, those who finds pleasure in giving them as a gift, and the boys, or young men, who get them in return for sprinkling a girl, and offering her Easter greetings. The photography competition arranged a year ago ended in the Hungarian section of this issue. Hundreds of competitors sent in thousands of pictures, there were many splendid photographs among them and the judges will not have an easy job selecting the best. I congratulate in advance the winners, and the others also, who sent in their favourite snaps. My thoughts turned to Baron Coubertin who said about the Olympic Games “What matters is to participate!” ZOLTÁN HALÁSZ “You finished your studies at the Budapest Academy of Fine Arts—as a student of Gyula Hincz—in 1963, and a year later you won a prize with your picture “Building in progress” at the competition of the Studio of Young Artists. A year later you exhibited at Europe House in Vienna, then received an invitation to the Trompe L’oeil exhibition. Then a series of one-man and group exhibitions, professional and public successes followed. A promising start. Yet, quite unexpectedly, you moved to London . . .” “What motivated me was a natural yearning for the unknown. But I was also filled with anxiety and inhibitions partly because I spoke no foreign language, partly because I feared the trials and tribulations of self-exile. I managed to stand on my own feet. I made a living mainly from painting portraits. I produced hundreds of portraits in those years but I really liked only those I painted of interesting people. An example of these is my portrait of László Cs. Szabó, the essayist which is now on permanent display at Sárospatak. I worked a great deal and I was also successful at exhibitions. But one day it dawned on me — although nohodv ever told me that I am a stranger in England and would stay a stranger as long as I lived. Unhappiness flooded me at an exhibition, where I suddenly realized that my pictures, without exception, were messages addressed to Hungary, and that those messages could never reach home.” “How did you manage to get out of that depression?” “It needed Amerigo Tot’s help. He was the only one of my friends, who sensed l was in trouble even from a distance of thousands of kilometres. Then too, it was he, who rang me, saying: “My dear boy, don’t you need something?” It was that telephone call that pulled me out of that dark and hopeless state. I still do not understand how he managed to hit on the right moment, when I most needed his inquiring words, after gaps of months, or even years.” “When and how did your friendship begin?” “The Studio of Young Artists organized a trip to Italy in 1964, and I went. In those years Amerigo Tot still worked in his old Rome studio, at 7 From portraits to jazz-inspired paintings László Gyémánt turned fifty recently. His first oneman show nearly a quarter of a century ago created a sensation in Budapest, just as his recent exhibition in the Műcsarnok did. Via Margutta, in an ankle deep mess of cigarette butts. Discussion began haltingly, because he was reserved, until he felt certain of the purpose of my visit. When it became clear that I was not in search of money, or a room to stay in, he relaxed. It was first of all his openness and simplicity that captivated me. I questioned him also about the frieze sculpture of the Termini Railway Station. He told me why it was done in a 4/4 rhythm. Because the joining of the rails clattered under the train wheels in that rhythm. When evening came, he pushed his bomb of a sports-car out of the shed, and took me to a classy artists’ cafe. After that we corresponded regularly.” László Gyémánt left London in 1973, and settled in Austria. In the ten years he spent there he experimented with interior design (he designed the interior of the Woom-Woom in Vienna), had a private school of drawing, was art director and coowner of the Galerie Cobenzl and naturally, he showed his works at exhibitions. Several of his pictures were acquired for public collections. The Hungarian public met his works again in 1980. “I had as many as three joint exhibitions at home in 1980 with Eva Kárpáti, a one-man show in the next year. In 1982 I permanently returned home. I am not sorry to have done so, just as I am not sorry to have left when I did.” “You said nothing yet of your eternal love, jazz, which is also a returning theme in your pictures...” “I found very useful artist friends amongst jazz musicians. I am convinced that the arts —and not only architecture, painting and sculpture, but also music, dancing, films and poetry—mutually inspire each other, they are companions. It was thinking of this that I organized the artist group known as Group Five in 1970 in London. Why them did I paint so many pictures on jazz themes? I always considered it superb music. I think improvisation, the singular and unrepeatable unity of execution, lifts jazz above other music as far as I am concerned and it could be a method to be followed also in painting . . .” ÉVA ÁROKSZÁLLÁSI 29
