Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1987. július-december (41. évfolyam, 26-48. szám)
1987-12-17 / 47. szám
Thursday, Dec. 17. 1987. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZO 15. —* ART/THE HUNGARIAN AVANT-GARDE, STORRS, CONN. Art historians have generally looked to Paris, New York and Berlin as centers of the major avant-garde art movements of the 20th century, but these were not the only places where important contributions were made. Between the world wars, Hungary produced an energetic and highly political group of artists whose works forged a fascinating synthesis between Western Cubism, Futurism and Expressionism and the rich folk culture of Eastern Europe. In the service of "world revolution," many attempted to purge their art of regional feeling by using geometric, non-representational forms. Aboye all, the works of Hu^o Scheiber, Bela Kádár and Lajos Kassak expressed the dream of a brave new world of technological progress and socialist peace - a dream that, along with the livelihoods of many of these artists, was destroyed by Hitler's rise to power. Through Dec. 24, UConn's William Benton Museum's "The Hungarian Avant-Garde 1914-1933" will feature the largest U.S. exhibition of this movement to date. Right, Woman Reading (1920) by Hugo Scheiber, a painter of urban nightlife. "The Hungarian Avant-Garde 1914-1933" at the William Benton Museum, 245 Glenbrook Road, Storrs (486-4520). ABOUT A HUNGARIAN BAKERY NEW YORK, New York - Rising rents and the "yuppiefication" of New York's Upper West Side destroyed another tradition recently. After nearly fifty years of baking and selling cakes, hallah, Danish and strudel on Amsterdam Avenue, Louis Lichtman, Hungarian born baker, has had to close his bakery. An increase of his rent from $1,300 to $6,500 a month, indicated Lichtman, would have meant "I would have worked seven days a week for the landlord." Over the -course of the years Lichtman's bakery became something of a tradition on the Upper West Side, and customers came from all over to buy the flavorsome pastries and cakes. Lichtman became a baker almost by accident. His relatives had told him that . he needed a trade to emigrate to America, so he decided to become a baker. He says about his very first cake - a spongecake: "I loved it. It's like when you see a girl and you fall in love and you can't live without her. That's the way I feel about baking." HOW TO REPAIR THE ECONOMY? The historic agreement signed in Washington last week has the potential of revitalizing the economy. An earlier reduction of 33 billion dollars in military expenditures is already slated for the 1989 budget. It is reasonable to conclude that the agreement will facilitate further cuts at the Pentagon. Peace organizations have often fantasized what the money spent for arms can do if used for peaceful purposes. This agreement makes the fantasy a reality. We can rebuild our infrastructure. Transportation, housing health and education all need substantial dollars after years of neglect. The figures below published by SANE indicate what a billion dollars can mean in terms of jobs when that sum is added to the following: Education $ 187,000 Housing $ 100,000 Transportation $ 92,000 Health $ 130,000 That's only one billion. Multiply it by 33 or any further cuts and the possibilities are obvious. Perhaps Mikhail Gorbachev said it best when he spoke at the signing. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, comrades, succeeding generations will hand down their verdict on the importance of the events which we are about to witness. But I will venture to say that what we are going to do - the signing of the first- ever agreement eliminating nuclear weapons - has a universal significance for mankind, both from the standpoint of world politics and from the standpoint of humanism. SEVEN YEARS OF WORK For everyone and, above all, for our two great powers the treaty, whose text is on this table, offers a big chance at last to get onto the road leading away from the threat of catastrophe. It is our duty to take full advantage of that chance and move together toward a nuclear-free world which holds out for our children and grandchildren and for their children and grandchildren the promise of a fulfilling and happy life without fear and without a senseless waste of resources on weapons of destruction. We can be proud of planting this sapling which may one day grow into a mighty tree of peace. But it is probably still too early to bestow laurels upon each other. As the great American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said, the reward of a thing well done is to have done it. So let us reward ourselves by getting down to business. We have covered a seven-year-long road replete with intense work and debate, One last step toward this table and the treaty will be signed. May Dec. 8, 1987, become a date that will be inscribed in the history books, a date that will mark the watershed separating the era of a mounting risk of nuclear war from the era of a demilitarization of human life. Bernard Kaye Beverly Hills, California - Look who else is a Hungarian! Peter Falk of Detective Colombo fame, that's who! It was in 1911 when two Hungarian immigrants passed through "Castle Garden" to seek a new way of life in America. Like thousands before them, they became tenement-dwellers in New York's Lower East Side. Sixteen years later, Mihály and Madelaine Falk became the proud parents of a son, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday. That son was and is - Peter Falk, star of stage, screen, and TV. Moreover, like Tony Curtis, he, too, is a great artist as well. Peter Falk FREE 48 pages gorgeous iUustrated album of HUGO GELLERTs FINEST DRAWINGS If you read this English language page of the Magyar Szo, write us about your impressions, what you like about it, whether it should be enlarged, modified, or eliminated. In return, as an expression of our gratitude, we will mail you free, our beautiful Hugo Gellert Memorial Album. Please mail your comments to the English Page Editor, Magyar Szo, 130 E 16 St. New York, N.Y. 10003. This painting by Sándor Bodo depicts the defeat of Colonel Tarleton's Cavalry by Duc De Lauzons "Hussars" This victory paved the way for General George Washington's victory at the Battle of Yorktown.
