János Major
| János Major | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 8, 1934 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died |
June 12, 2008 (aged 74) Budapest, Hungary |
| Resting place |
Kozma Street Cemetery 47°28′22.25″N 19°10′46.04″E / 47.4728472°N 19.1794556°E |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
| Alma mater | Hungarian University of Fine Arts |
| Known for | Tombstone photographs, drawings and etchings |
| Spouse(s) | Eva Buchmuller, divorced |
| Website |
janos-major |
János Major (Budapest, May 8, 1934 - June 12, 2008) was a graphic artist and photographer. He was born as Janos Neufeld to a Jewish family in Budapest.
From 1947 to1950, he attended a private school, later a High School for Fine and Applied Arts. In 1950 his mother married Bela Major, he and his sister adopted the name Major. Upon high school graduation, he got accepted to the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest where he studied graphic reproduction: etching, lithography, woodcut under Karoly Koffan. His diploma work in 1959 were etchings of women workers at an electronics factory.
Carreer
Major often appeared in group exhibitions. He made gravestone photographs from the beginning of the 1970s. In the mid-1970s, he destroyed a significant part of his work.[1]
In the 60's he experimented with mezzotint, line engraving, aquatint, acids on steel plates, imprints into vernis mou. His epic etching In Memoriam of Moric Scharf, a reference to a famous Hungarian blood libel case, to the Holocaust, and to Renate Muller. In the late 60’s he began to photograph tombstones producing hundreds of B&W prints. Some photos informed his drawings while others inspired conceptual work.
He produced art that was grotesque, (self) ironic, absurd sexual engagements blend with Jewish and political motifs.[2] In the nineteen eighties he became interested in perspectival illusion.[1] He has dealt with the subconscious and taboo.[3]
He staged a one man protest on October 18th, 1969 at Victor Vasarely's retrospective exhibition at the Mücsarnok gallery in Budapest. Janos walked around the exhibit with a one inch sign under his lapel and showing it only to friends: Vasareli Go Home.[4]
In 1976 Major destroyed a significant portion of his work. The same year he became associated with the Budapest History Museum as archeological draftsman and did not resume his own work for a decade.[1]
His late work consists of tombstone photography, drawings, and comics. These drawings make use a certain perspective representation he called ‘coincidences’ resulting in absurd misperception (with pornographic overtones).[1]
Exhibitions
Source: Veri, Daniel. March, 2013. Leading the Dead - The World of Major Janos, MTVA Press. ISBN 978-963-7165-49-8.
- 1969 - Fényes Adolf Room, Budapest, Hungary (with István Bencsik and Ilona Keserü Ilona)
- 1989 - Óbuda Pincegaléria, Budapest[1]
- 1996 - Budapest History Museum, Budapest
- 1997 - Körmendi Gallery, Budapest (floor)
- 1997 - Goethe Institute, Budapest
- 1997 - Goethe Institute, Budapest
- 2000 - Dorottya Street Gallery, Budapest
- 2001 - Ssinyei Salon
- 2006 - Museum Kiscell - Municipal Picture Gallery
- 2007 - Petofi Library Museum
- 2012 - 2B Gallery
- 2013 - Hungarian University of Fine Arts
Group
Source: Veri, Daniel. March, 2013. Leading the Dead - The World of Major Janos, MTVA Press. ISBN 978-963-7165-49-8.
- 1961 - I. National Graphic Biennial, Miskolc / Studio '61, Budapest
- 1964 - MTA Central Physical Research Institute, Budapest / Fényes Adolf Hall, Budapest (with István Bencsik, Ilona Keserü)
- 1966 - Studio '66, Budapest / Europahaus, Vienna / Tombstone Photographs (János Major, Péter Donáth, Gábor Karátson), Central Physics Research Institute, Budapest
- 1965 - Technical University of Budapest R Building, Budapest
- 1968 - Budapest University of Technology, Budapest / Central Physics Research Institute Club, Budapest / Graphic Exhibition, János Vignola / Major, Ilona Keserü, István Bencsik, Adolf Hall Fényes, Budapest / Industrial Design II, IPARTERV, Budapest
- 1969 - Hungarian exhibition, Essen
- 1970 - R-exhibition, Building R, Technical University of Budapest, Budapest / Künstler aus Ungarn, Baukunst, Cologne
- 1971 - Tombstone Photography, Central Physics Research Institute, Budapest
- 1973 - Chapel of the Balatonboglár, Balatonboglár
- 1999 - Perspective, Műcsarnok, Budapest.
Awards
Source: Veri, Daniel. March, 2013. Leading the Dead - The World of Major Janos, MTVA Press. ISBN 978-963-7165-49-8.
- 1990 - Honorary Professor, Hungarian University of Fine Arts.
- 1990 - State Prize, Meritorious Artist.
- 2002 - Klára Herczeg Prize.[5]
- 2007 - Janos Major Prize. Founder NETRAF - Tamas St. Auby. The prize began in 1998 in his honor.[6]
Bibliography
Source: Veri, Daniel. March, 2013. Leading the Dead - The World of Major Janos, MTVA Press. ISBN 978-963-7165-49-8.
- László Beke: Introduction to János Major's Photographs of Tombs-with an English Summary, 1972.
- Karátsony G .: János Major's graphic work, Art, 1974/7.
- Emese Krunák: The forerunner of avant-garde graphics. János Major art, Art, 1987/5.
- Éva Körner: Grotesque victim. János Major's erotic art, New Art, 1997 / 5-6.
- Antal István: Major league - János Major Prózavers, New Art, 1997 / 5-6.
- Peter Sinkovits: Self-portrait in Distortion Mirror. Conversation with János Major, New Art, 1997 / 5-6.
- Major János: (Kat. Bev., Körmendi Gallery, 1997)
- Tamás Szőnyei: Light, dark. Major János Graphic Artist, MANCS, 2000/3.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Veri, Daniel. The World of Janos Major. MTVA Press. ISBN 978-963-7165-49-8.
- ↑ "Major János". Retrieved 2018-09-09.
- ↑ "Taboo Subject". December 5, 2013.
- ↑ "VASARELY GO HOME". Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. September 13, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ↑ "KLÁRA HERCZEG PRIZE". Retrieved 2018-09-15.
- ↑ "Janos Major Prize". Transit Blog Hujngary. Retrieved September 12, 2018.