Kókay Krisztina (Esztergom, 2005)
In Krisztina K6kay s work drawing or rather lines are only means through which she expresses herself. Whether she makes her drawing on silk, linen, cotton or paper, it has hardly any significance for the work itself, although the diverse quality of the materials will undoubtedly influence the direction, strength, harshness or disappearance of her lines. She makes use of such effects but this is not the real essence of her drawing. She creates a brand new structure with short and gentle movements of the hand using a hard razorpoint-pencil, on what appears to be an empty surface. A sheet of paper for most people is nothing but an empty white surface. But Kókay knows that it is not empty but contains millions of possibilities, she just only has to set out and find them. When she finds basic structure, then begins what is called improvisation in music. Following her powerful, patient, rhythmical motions more and more "voices" enter the composition until a new piece is created. A landscape, a tree, a figure which - if necessary - later takes the shape of landscape, a tree, a sprout, a human being or whatever. If it does not happen, it remains a possibility, which will continue its mystic existence in an other drawing. It is a reversed abstraction: the real figures emerge out of abstract structures. They cannot be called visions, it would be contradictory to the process itself. Kókay does not have an inner vision, a more or less finished picture that she wants to depict. The series of forms are born in the process of drawing, the various forms shaping each other until the work of art is finally created. The quivering, graceful lines, constantly in motion, reveal for us what is hiding behind the veil. Kókay also practices the more traditional way of drawing. Now the actual motive- a petal, a piece of wood thrown away, an onion or a leaf - is drawn first and then slowly transforms into a new individual structure without losing its original organic character. This way she does not reduce the meaning of the subject matter, but uncovers its real character, adding new shades of meaning to the initial motive. These drawings constitute the source of her textile pictures. She always dyes her natural fabrics various shades of black, gray, brown and rust-red. She hardly ever uses bright colors. The arrangement of the colors gives a special impression of vibration and gleaming. An organic, moving surface is a basic characteristic feature of her works - we find ourselves expecting the surface to actually transform into something else in front of our very eyes. The beautiful richness and noble harmony of the Flamenco tapestry is a wonderful example of her graphical and pictorial approach. Her textile compositions are clearly based on her drawings, perfectly harmonizing with the technical requirements and traditions as well as the latest technology of making printed textiles. Krisztina Kókay has not given up textile designing either - if a textile industry should still exists in Hungary -, although this industry gave up on her and her colleagues long ago. The real loser is the industry. Krisztina Kókay has become an artist with her pencil and a sheet of paper but remains a textile artist through practicing graphic art. FOREWORD TO THE CATALOG OF KOKAY KRISZTINA'S EXHIBITION, DOROTTYA STREET GALLERY, BUDAPEST 8 JULY, 1992.
