ART-PRESS interview
Interview with Attila Víg contemporary painter
Attila Víg was born in Nagykanizsa in 1966. He considers himself a “Sunday painter”, and is not a painter by qualification; nonetheless, such masters have taught him as Emil Szekeres, who is a yet living favorite of Kmetty and still preserves those traditions that characterized the generation of Kmetty. These painter traditions rooted from the impressionistic approach and have reached cubism. Kmetty’s landscape paintings, still lifes and self-portrays have all followed a well-designed structure; his self-portrays symbolized the future building, consciously acting man type. The painting, picturing of Kmetty’s disciple, Emil Szekeres moved towards the world of signs and symbols. Similarly to Kmetty however, the figures of nature and its surroundings were organized into compositions with mysterious space and these compositions unfolded in an expressive may, while still conveying postimpressionist features. Emil Szekeres, master of Attila Víg, visualizes the feelings generated by the dramas of life through contoured forms, just like his master Kmetty. Nevertheless Attila Víg does not aim to create such orderly and perfect compositions as his master, but aspires to paint compositions free from any burdens and that leave an expressive impression. On his compositions painted during his travels he draws an artistic parallel with Kmetty and Emil Szekeres, which he realizes through the intensification of colors and daring use of these on his works. Some of his works may be considered a little bit already surrealistic, yet still reflect rather expressive effects. Attila Víg is an intrepid and mature painter, who dares to be a painter and gladly explains about himself and his works. This already turns out at the beginning of this interview, which we had in a restaurant in Budapest, in Falk Miksa street.
How did you as a television and theater director become a painter? What does painting mean to you?
I’ve been painting and drawing since I went to kindergarten. The theater and the television are still part of my life: soon two commercial channels will launch my series about contemporary painting and modern painters. The series will have weekly episodes, during which present-day painting, painters – including some Hungarians as well – will be introduced. I can not yet tell you who will be part of this series, but I promise that the program will be interesting, useful and informative. In my own opinion, I have not become a painter – although I feel flattered to be called one, and thank you for this. As for the other question – that is what painting means to me –, I consider this activity a real ode to joy. You know, it’s an interesting feeling when you step out of the everyday fuss, and suddenly you’re left alone with the clean canvas with a paint brush in your hand. Then you dip your brush into the paint and begin an unexpected dance on the snow-white canvas and go on until you feel that you’ve created something, and then you show it to your beloved ones. I have to add here that my most valued critic of my work is my 84 years old mother. So when I show her my work, I always scan her face to see whether she’s satisfied or not. This is what painting means to me. I don’t care about phrases, isms, tendencies or anything like that, just about creation!
Why did you choose Emil Szekeres as your master? Is it true that he used to be the disciple of Kmetty?
I was simply lucky. Actually, the reason why I became the disciple of Emil Szekeres is due to a friend of mine, Ferenc Horváth, who had a good relationship with Emil. My friend ‘Frédi’ saw that I really enjoy painting and perhaps could not stand my awkward, but determined trying, therefore referred me to the Master. I don’t remember exactly, but I could have been around the age of 25, and I have been trying for years back then. At this time Endre Szász was still alive and encouraged me not to give up. He said that only those could succeed or fail, who try! At this period he was my master, and I’ve been to Canada quite a few times, where I have exhibited my works in Toronto’s Hungarian House. It was surprisingly successful, and one of my paintings was bought by one of the biggest stars in Canada, Walter Ostanek. After the first meeting with Emil, I was tested several times. He would take me out to nature and would give me such tasks as drawing a leaf that he tore from one of the trees as he was holding it, or choosing a tree from the woods and painting a selected branch of it in a highlighted way, and so on. Only after this, when Emil discovered the potential in me, did he begin teaching me. I have developed very much under him, and I still call him, when I confront a seemingly unsolvable problem. And yes, his master was János Kmetty at the university. Emil has been a follower and favorite student of Kmetty for long years. Then he was awarded scholarships – including a Rippl-Rónai award, a Derkovits award, and a year spent in Rome –, with which he travelled around Europe. Upon returning home with these rich experiences he opened his own, very successful art exhibition at Mednyánszky Room presenting his works painted in his own style.
How similar do you find your panting style to that of Emil Szekeres? What is considered to be continuation, and what are those characteristics that could only linked to your work?
I think it is yet too early to ask this question; the future art historians will explain it finely and scientifically. Seriously though, Emil is a great master, because he never forced anything on me. He only highlights the very significant mistakes and always advises me not to listen to anybody, just to paint out from myself whatever is within! But as with all masters and their disciples, he also impresses me of course. The parallel between our arts can be best noted from the postimpressionist features on my works, as well as the intensification and use of colors. The most obvious difference between our painting styles is that while he aims at perfect, precise compositions, while I prefer expressive effects. And if I think about cubism, which Kmetty considered his own, Emil has not taken this style on from him, and I have not taken it on either from Kmetty, or my master, as he has never taken it from his master, Kmetty. Otherwise I think that cubism is a real wonder, but none of the cubists followed their predecessors, therefore I have not either.
Not too long ago two of your middle-sized oil paintings were put on auction at Nagyházi Gallery. They have both been sold for almost 200,000 HUF. How did it feel, what was this experience like for you?
First of all, let me thank the senior auctioneer, Vera Mayer for the encouragement and faith in me, and for being so brave and taking my works on for the auction. Without her I would have never probably dare to put my works on sale like this. Selling itself is not new to me, as more thank a hundred paintings have found new owners. Several of my works are displayed at Mol hotels, at the Hertelendi castle, in Canada, in the USA, and in private collections. The reason why I could sell my paintings to hotels is that in my early years I mostly painted copies of great painters’ masterpieces – mainly those of Van Gogh, therefore it was not hard to sell them. I have never before felt the success of my work so directly as through auctioning. And my feelings regarding this? Well, I’m very happy and hope that those who bought these pieces… are happy too! Who have bought my paintings? Only the auction house knows, but as I was inquiring about it, they told me that a collector has bought them, who is a frequent visitor of their auctions. This is a great honor to me, and I’d like to take the opportunity and thank this person here as well!
What is your opinion of today’s youngest painter generation and their works? How intrepid are you when formulating your own visual world? What are your future artistic plans regarding painting?
To the luck of future painters, the world is now open enough, not only to the East, but to the West as well, which enables them to exist in a wider spectrum, and this can be seen in their works too. I hope that this generation will be able to achieve international fame by this. What I observe recently is that a sort of world art began to evolve with great young Hungarian artists. And how innovative or brave I am in painting? I don’t know really. I think that painting in itself is already a courageous act! As for my future plans, I’m currently working on a sizeable painting, which will portray among others Munkácsy, Rippl-Rónai, Aba-Novák, and Bernáth as well. This is a tribute to the great ones, who could/can achieve world success only occasionally.
