Síkban és térben. Oroján István kiállítása (Gyulai katalógusok 5. Gyula, 1998)

Gulyás Gyula: Inaugural address of István Oroján’s exhibition in Arad (Fordította: Vizi Endre)

Inaugural address of István Oroján's exhibition in Arad István Oroján a Rumanian not only by his name, actually belongs to the little part of people living in South East Hungary. On the occasion of his first exhibition in the home land in dramatic and degrading circumstances there must be given a thorough interpretation of his work and views. When the visitors for most of whom the first occasion to see Orojan's meditative objects have seen the works surely will have the feeling 'I have been addressed!' . They won't be able to keep up any longer the kind of 'objective truth' giving formerly a moral base to undervalue both fine works of arts and artists of former periods. It is an unsteady kind of verdict based mostly by groups of friends or mercenary clans. With the painter being unappreciated and unrecognized and the visitor being perhaps uncertain to give a necessary valuation can be doubted the interpretation. On the contrary: the exhibiting artist, 'a gallant warrior of the border' is a true representative of his region, a modeller of its topography on both sides of the border. Questions will certainly be asked: is he a Kossuth Prize winner, a honorary member of western academies, has he any certificates of merit of them or contest of galleries to exhibit his works? The visitor is right. Taken by instincts, experiences and senses one can more over wonder whether this healthy conceited cheerfully ingenious view of painting is proper in present-day Rumania or Hungary? How can the painter have this self-conceited superiority in weekdays' mystery? Or isn't he conscious of the layers of guano accumulating on him day by day humiliating his personality? Is he a Hungarian or only a born Rumanian is able to take this view? Is he a magician or a crook, both a self-deciding person and an obscurantism? The question must be correctly asked this way: The aim of the painters in our world. Apparently my friend wants to represent the visible world not by copying but by exposing it to view. This constructive geometric abstract modelling has its tradition especially here in the middle of Europe, the unique atmosphere of Kassák, Mattisch-Teuts, Brâncu§i is principally European and is in the first rank. The painter Orojan ever since I've known him, in the last 25 years of our century has obstinately devoted all his energy to create this kind of mania. 24