András Mengyán
Born 1945 in Békéscsaba. Designer, Painter, Graphic Artist.
1968: College of Applied Arts, Budapest. Mengyán was a member of the Society of Norwegian Fine Artists; as well as the executive committee of the International Society of Designers, the ICSID, from 1990 to 1993. Between 1969 and 1990 he was a lecturer of the College of Applied Arts in Budapest, and the president of the Basic Training Institute of the College of Applied Arts. Mengyán was furthermore the professor of the College of Applied Arts of Bergen from 1990. He resides in Budapest and Bergen. 1974: 3. Internationale Grafikb., Frechen; 1976: 4. Internationale Grafikb., Frechen; 1978: Krakan 7 Miedzynarodowe B., Krakow; 1983: 8th International Exhibition of Original Drawings, Rijeka. Scholarships: 1981-1982: American Council of Learned Societies, New York; 1982: IBM fellow, International Design Conference, Aspen. He worked at a number of Colony of Artists: 1974: Graz; 1976, 1978: Békéscsaba; 1978: Zsennye; 1979: Interdesign '79, Keszthely; International Systematic Artist, Motuvun (YU); 1981: Design Seminar, Berlin; 1982: Aspen; 1983: Kemi; 1989: Moscow. His conceptual, geometric, serial works are based on mathematical calculations, and upon the strict structure of geometrical design. He has been working consistently on his A formák logikája /The Logic of Forms/, consisting of a series of images and graphical works. He produces combinational forms, which he labels “defined, moveable forms”. These consist of elements varying in number and state, which have unique dynamics, spatiality and movement. By the 1970’s he produced his very own array of forms consisting of colorful artistic-visual elements (Térkoordináták /Space coordinates/, 1966-1970). This he calls the so-called M-formarendszer /M-system of Forms/, the goal of which, with its starting point in mathematics and geometry, is the possibility form the formation of an infinite number of color and form variations into logical and aesthetic combinations, or their workability into spatial movements. Straight lines and curves are the main constituents of his painting, the combinations of which bring forth different permutation lines. During the course of the 1980’s he produced computer works and environments in which light, sound, film, mirrors, and string (as lines or contours) brought about the given spaces, and the phase images of the spatial movements. The series entitled Formák didaktikája /The Didactics of form/ provides more space for the fantasy, therefore producing a larger number of possible visual and logical interpretations. His work entitled Vizuális programok /Visual programs/ provided broadened dimensional, spatial movement, for instance a logical, yet closely poetic rhythm based on opposites (e.g.: black and white, red and green, light and shadow, photograph and moving images, and the movement of the viewer and the observed object) (Programozható environment I. /Programmable Environments I./). In this latter large-scale composition the viewer becomes part of the space-composition, through stepping into the given space. Within the dark space six-meter tall slim pyramids, composed of carton or mirror, stand upright, which gives the given space a crystal-like structure, onto which the moving images prepared of the skyscrapers of New York are projected. His geometrical paintings prepared during the course of the 1990’s, with the transposition of the three-dimensional to a two-dimensional plane, became more and more multi-planed, multi-viewpoint and multi-layered. The images of Mengyán are nonetheless capable of producing spaces: the timely fragments of spaces placed into movement. His paintings painted with sharp, aggressive colors sensitive to ultra-violet light often break forward from the black backgrounds surrounding them.
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His conceptual, geometrical and serial works are basedf on mathematical and geometrical structutres. From the middle of the 1960s he was working on his picture and graphics series entitled The logic of forms. He created forms named as "determined movable forms". These are elements of special dinamics and movings. By the 1970s he had finished the M form structure (consisting of coloured artistic-visual elements), the purpose of which is to make logical and esthetical combinations or spacial movings offered by the endless ways colours and forms can be used.
His paintings consist of straight lines and curves, the combinations of which bring about different permutational lines. In the 1980'ies he made computer works and environments in which the phases of space and the spacial movements are brought about by the light, sound, film, mirror and strings (as a line or contour).
His series entitled visual programs gives place for the games of spacial movments and poetic rythms based upon oppositions (black-white, red-green, light-matte, light-shadow, picture-film, etc.). In the dark space 6 meter-high cartoon or mirror cones are streching up high. These turn the space into crystalic form, on which we can see projected the moving pictures of a film made anout a skyscraper in New York.
His paintings made in the 1990s are the transponations of three dimensions into two. However, he still creates layers on his pictures - the time framgments of various spaces. His ultraviolet colours break out of mostly black background..
http://artportal.hu/international/angol/mengyan_andras
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mengy%C3%A1n_Andr%C3%A1s
