SUMMARY 2004/3-4
‘‘I consider the photograph as a technique of fine arts’’ says András Baranyay graphic artist in the interview he gave to Sándor Bacskai. Baranyay who was awarded Kossuth Prize in 1999, has been photographing since starting his career in fine arts but he uses silver-base ‘‘raw material’’also to his extremely fine crayon drawings and litographic prints as well as to his drawings of mixed technique. Moreover photographing used to play an important role in his work for living e.g. in restoration work.In “After graduation” Gábor Pfisztner presents the diploma work of this year artistic school graduates. List of the young artists: Nóra Bozsogi, János Fodor, Krisztián Viktorin (University of Fine Arts – Intermedia Faculty) and Ivett Gál, Miklós Gulyás, Zita Kismarty-Lechner, Zoltán Kovács, Viktória Körösi, László Krajcsó, András Ridovics, Zoltán Sípos and Gergely Szatmári (Hungarian University of Applied Arts – Visual Communication).In ‘‘I like simple photos’’ Sándor Bacskai interviews Márton Perlaki functional photographer. Although, the young photo artist is a journalist school graduate, instread of reports and photo essays, he soon turned his attention to fashion photography. His fashion photos in the Nikon Gallery prove that he is on the right track.Sándor Féjja examines Anna Kézdi’s photos with ‘‘Manó eyes’’. He points out, Anna Kézdi photographing for years in the Őrség (W-Hungary) has identified herself with the genius loci of this marvellous region of Hungary: It was there, she noticed things – and she let us, too, notice them, on her photos – the oldest locals would also marvel at.In his methological essay ‘‘The place of visual antropology in Corvin utca 7’’ András Bán reviews the pictures of Krisztián Bócsi graduate of the Faculty of Cultural and Visual Antropology of the Miskolc University. Bócsi’s first pictures are made in the spirit of Hungarian documentary tranditions. In this thesis on photographing in the series ‘‘Corvin utca 7’’, Krisztián Bócsi defined the place of visual antropology that has been modelled many times but hardly ever defined: he has been participant much more than observer.Gábor Pfisztner interviewed William Klein an ideal to many, born in New York. In the interview ‘‘Not even today would I do it in another way’’ they are talking about the first steps, about colleagues, books, about wonderful but at the same time awful New York as well as about filming for the sake of which he gave up photographing for fifteen years.The subject of Gábor Pfisztner’s other report ‘‘The scenery man left behind’’ is Wolfgang Volz. His pictures are made among others in the fabled West and Midwest region of the United state, in the magical and mysterious world of China and in the environs of Moscow. Subject of the pictures is the world formed or transformed by man, the ravaging acts of man.In ‘‘Memory-work’’ Gábor Pfisztner presents Hilla and Berndt Becher two this year prize-winners of the Hasselblad Foundation. They both are ranked amongst the most famous contemporary artists, who for more than forty years were documenting the heritage of industrial past. For their work immortalising functional architecture, they have received high recognition not only as conceptual artists but also as photographers. Their style known as ‘‘Becher school’’ used to influence a generation of documentary photographers and artists in a specific way. Gábor Pfisztner made a preliminary report on photochina 2004, the greatest annual show of photographing industry. The article titled George Eastman’s famous saying ‘‘Your just push the button, all the rest is our business’’ surveys the main trends of technology, while another article ‘‘Magic hands’’ covers photo exhibitions apropos photokina 2004.In ‘‘What you have taught me...’’ Tamás Féner photo artist commemorates Lajos Végvári art historian, professor and head of the famous Nadar group that used to gather young photographers of the day. In the first part of a new chapter of the series ‘‘Roaming Europe’’ Zoltán Fejér reports on photo historical curiosities related to József Petzval on the occasion of a Vienna exhibition (Technisches Museum), and also touches on Michél and Michéle Auer’s collection widely known from the photographer encyclopedia of 70 000 entries.‘‘Filming and antropology’’ by Tamás Régi gives an insight into some moments of the antropology film-maker’s fieldwork in Ethiopia. He provides not only an emotional report on the far from easy work but also on methods from his own experience.‘‘13 and 1 000 000’’ – the first number indicates that the Hungarian Photographic Museum was founded in Kecskemét 13 years ago, from almost nothing says Károly Kincses director of the museum. By now their budget amounts to forty-five million forints, and more than one million works of art are preserved in the museum. They have published more than fifty books, and organised several hundred exhibitions, that have met the recognition of photographing enthusiastic people.György Sümegi interviewed Richard Rapaich poster photographer living in France, on his photos made in Budapest in October 1956. Rapaich talks not only about his memories of the 1956 revolutuion and the circumstances under which the photos were made but also about the survival of the photos and about using them in later work.Beatrix Cs. Lengyel made sections of her PhD thesis comprising the ‘‘Photos of the Hungarian exiles in Italy’’, she defended in 2003, available to Fotóm?vészet. The article comprises the basic theses of the PhD work as well some particularly interesting photos never ever published before, and related historical sources. It is to point out that it is the first thesis using photos not as histo-rical illustration or memories but as historical sources, considering them to be of primary importance. ‘‘DIGITAL meneTREND: or everybody going his/her own way?’’ – József Rák is asking the question in the title of his article on video recording and outlining development trends. The rapid and wide-ranging development of digital video technologies brings up the idea of designing a uniform video camera system with lenses of smaller size, less weight and higher power, with perfect optical mapping and lens-body compatibility with other brands and types and possibly with an outstandingly favourable price–performance ratio.In ‘‘Bookshelf’’ Péter Timár reviews six books and photoalbums: Sylvia Wolf: Ed Ruscha and Photography; Wu Hung and Christopher Phillips: Between Past and Future; Liu Zheng: The Chinese; Alec Soth: Sleeping by the Mississippi; Mona Kuhn: Photographs; Arrivals and Departures, The Airport Pictures of Garry Winogrand.
