Last week I went to a new art exhibition and had to realize I missed art a lot. It looks like art and me have something in common as I can never get bored of exhibitions and thank God, I have the opportunity to visit quite a few for free.
This exhibition was a special one, organized to celebrate 200 years of the birth of Sándor Petőfi, one of the most famous and valued Hungarian poets of all times.
Sándor Petőfi (1 January 1823 – most likely 31 July 1849) was a Hungarian poet and liberal revolutionary. He is considered Hungary's national poet, and was one of the key figures of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. He is the author of the Nemzeti dal (National Song), which is said to have inspired the revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary that grew into a war for independence from the Austrian Empire. It is most likely that he died in the Battle of Segesvár, one of the last battles of the war. source
This is the second exhibition of this type and it makes it more interesting. Imagine when you as an artist, have to create painting or a drawing to illustrate a poem or a novel. There were artworks from several artists, which makes it even more interesting. Each artist has their own vision, style so what you're going to see is a mix or everything, starting from paintings, drawings, collages and so on.
Having a first glance into the exhibition room is always like opening your Christmas present. You never know what you get, therefore it's exciting. When I saw this scene, I knew it's going to be interesting. In the corner there's the poster of the exhibition, with the poet's most famous portrait photo. He died (or disappeared) at the age of 26, so basically this is the image everyone has about him.
This was the first artwork, which I liked a lot, but this was also where my enthusiasm was was cut to half as i remembered by biggest enemy was there again. I suppose you know what that is, that's why I had to take the shot from the side. As Petőfi was fighting for freedom, I suppose this is his gesture of stopping or rejecting foreign dominance. That is what I read here.
This is a screen print, an interesting way to create art for sure. Maybe one day I'll have the opportunity to see it live, how it's done.
Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen springs back after the blade has passed. One colour is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multi-coloured image or design. [source]
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_printing)
A great watercolor that can seem a bit strange. The young lady is upside down and if you have a closer look, you'll find it even more strange.
I took some close up photos as I thought showing you the details is important. The title of the watercolor is Requiem. It's a drawing and watercolor painting and has a lot to do with math as well. I'd say the colors are perfect, for my taste anyway. The other thing I love here is the paper. It has a nice texture, that at this size is visible.
This is made with mixed technique and paper. The artist is a textile artist, but there's no textile here this time. However, the message is what matters. For those who don't know, the Hungarian flag is red, white and green, so this is the reason why you see the three colors. You can also spot the portrait of the poet on the upper right. At a closer look you see the cavalry marching fight, holding the flag. Fighting for freedom is a returning motif in these artworks.
Apart from the reflections, there's a nice tree here.
This is where I broke the rule and cheated by using the flash. Basically it doesn't say you can't use it, but I suppose it's an unwritten rule. This terracotta statue is featuring a Hungarian dancer is traditional shepherd clothes. It's a nice, very detailed work and the color is absolutely lovely.
This was a bit of a shock. New concept, not exactly to my liking, so let's say this was different.
I took a close look and a close-up photo to see how it was made as it was too regular.
I used to think these artworks are too crowded, but not anymore. This is a different category and has to be judged like such. If you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, what you see is the 19th century. As prominent personalities I see Francis II Rákóczi (lower left corner), who was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary , a king as well and most likely other nobles and religious personalities.
I keep saying to myself I should create my first collage, but so far it's been wishful thinking and a plan that will have to wait. First I need to create my cell painting.
This painting has meaning most likely only to those who know the Hungarian culture and history. At first glance it's obvious it's about the revolution as you see flags flying left and right and Petőfi's famous portrait. What you can also see here is the Hungarian folk elements that you can find painted on old furniture.
This painting most likely looks like a huge chaos. It is called Ora et labora, which means pray and work. I tried to explain myself why I like it, but most like the colors and the black contrast is what makes it interesting for me.
When I got there, I started to smile as it reminded me of my (failed) painting, which became a project of damage control 😂. I mean no disrespect, I value the artist and the painting as well, but this was what I was thinking.
The painting is called On the road and I can see why. If you have a close look, the paining is not smooth, it's bumpy as roads can be, curvy and undefined at times. Even though it may look like a big mess, it has a deep meaning if you know how to look at it.
I hope you can find one you like. If you do, let me know in a comment :)
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