Graphic work by Tamás Lossonczy 1945-50

This year in August, the fine artist Tamás Lossonczy, holder of the Kossuth prize, celebrated his hundredth birthday. The Ernst Museum would like to pay its repects to the artist for this occasion.

Apart from a smaller show in 1982, Tamás Lossonczy's graphic work from the years 1945-1950 has never been shown to the public, despite the fact that these were the few years when his art reached maturity and was perfected. The graphics, if only because of their genre, perhaps reflect even more accurately their creator's artistic efforts in several directions at once, while preserving his reflections on political changes and on human frailty. Moreover, we can see tendencies in them which are completely missing from his painting.

Tamás Lossonczy's legendary passion for experimentation, finds an excellent tool in graphics for the implulsive and reflective nature of his creative method, which he carries out using various techniques, (Indian ink, pencil, gouache, water colour).

Amongst the approximately 150 works in the exhibition, there are abstract, almost minimalist circular pictures, but also others typified by a proliferation of motifs. The selection also includes numerous figurative works and besides the graphics representing imaginary beings and others with a satirical theme, there is a surprising series in a grotesque, surrealist mood, in which comical but frightening machinery and organic sculptures appear before the landscapes of Lake Balaton.

A catalogue of all the work exhibited is being published for the occasion, including extracts from the artist's diary of the period, an introduction by György Somlyó and a study by art historian, Gábor Pataki.

Despite his age, Lossonczy Tamás is still working today. We are organizing a sale of his graphic work of the least few years during the exhibition, on December 10th and 11th in the Ernst Museum. The pictures for sale can be viewed from December 1st.