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Ex-Libris
Ritz Tibor 2005.07.09. 08:00
 Ex libris appeared at the same time as printed books. They represented a counterpole to the "mass production" of Guthenberg style variable press by their being unique, unalterable and limited in repetition. The marking of someone' own book might have been an aristocratic nostalgia in a sense, but all the same, the sign of bourgeois civilization. The aim of the designing artists (Albrecht Drer among the first ones) went further than naming the book's owner, it was to show something of his profession and interests to the observer. That time already, almost half a millennium ago, ex libris was much more than a "modern" version of the coat-of-arms for noblemen. That time such occupations as a doctor, a lawyer or a banker appeared as independent professions and they got wide appreciation. Of course, ex libris was always only accompanying books and it has counted to the latest times
as something like driving a Trabant in a cap and a T-shirt with a Mercedes key-ring. We have become more flexible in this respect. Ex libris became the devotion of collectors and valuable pieces of collections, it is sure nobody would stick a single one into his book any more. But it was deadly serious protocol some time ago. There are books in Teleky Tka in Marosvsrhely (Targu-Mures/Romania), of which from the inner side of the dust covers 8 pieces of consecutive ex libris leaves have been peeled off. It can even be detected who and in what order the books owned during the last 2 to 3 centuries.
Today we live in the age of development for bourgeois civilization or are you open?
Usually, small graphics, and especially ex libris, is no serious artistic form in the eyes of many. The lack of large, attractive surfaces is considered today no significant market potential, but anyway, this kind of culture is developing unbroken, it is altering and it always has surprises for us. The artists of the world are filling with life these postcard size products and they are working on special topics time and again: grapes and wine, legends, book-mania, nudes or ships, and thousand and thousand more themes …
Is there any new under the sun?
A really new topic can be met by those who visit the EXPO-CLEAN 2000 trade exhibition. They can see special creations. I am in doubt if there has ever been such an international exhibition, where the works of artists from 27 countries can be seen on a completely clean wall. During a six-month period in last year, on the invitation of PARRAGH Galria in Budapest and the trade journal TisztaTrTechnolgia, more than 200 artists from Argentina to Japan, from the Czech Republik to Ukraine and to China, from Canada to Transsylvania were trying to catch the idea of CLEAN SPACE.
The clean space that can be a clean shirt collar, the clean nature or a clean hand against the Mafia or, even a clean nude female body.
How was this idea born?
How did it grow into an intention?
How is art interwoven with business?
Are there sponsors after all?
Or is it a mutually helping hand?
The company PARRAGH is today one of the most important in making our everyday working places, weekend amusement places or health institutions always cleaner to provide us with a better state of health.
Who would think that it is a new science?
Who knew that here professionals are needed?
Is the creation of cleanliness perhaps a new culture?
Our trade journal TisztaTrTechnolgia is the keeper of this culture. A journal that informs its readers that something can be solved, that there is a possibility for it, that knowledge and responsibility are hiding behind things. The trade media that is telling them that efforts are enormous and results begin to come fore. Both participants, of course, can see
it clearly although today's cleanliness cannot be mentioned together with that of 10 or 20 years ago that there is still a lot to do …
Etching, copper engraving, wood engraving or lithography, these are such artistic techniques that are words only for a mortal. Few know how much time and effort (beside creativity) and what tools are behind these sheets. Only selected persons are those, who feel what it means that during today's mass production frenzy 10, 20 or even 50 prints are made of one such "ground", just the same as what real cleaning is.
When we take place in a clean multiplex cinema with a pleasant star spangled carpet and surround sound we don't meditate on that in one day 20 cu. m of popcorn and other trash is left behind there, 200 to 300 liters of Cola can be spilt onto the carpet accidentally, or around 2% of our movie going society is not able to throw bubble gums to the trash, which means more than 100 gums are pressed Or is it surprising, that the weight of dust vacuum cleaned daily from the visitors' lobby of the most elite, royal level hotel of Hungary, is over 200 kg.
Is reality horrible?
And artistry?
The above things are true also in our everyday life. If we enclose ourselves all around with plain, monotone things, after a time we too become the same, or even worse. We get accustomed to it …
But why not do the opposite? Why not be good with intention?
Why not give everybody the opportunity of self-realization?
Why not organize interesting events as this exhibition?
Let's be curious about how others see clean love, clean life or clean space. Let's look behind things and see the human being at the back of products, the omnipotent products, the longed for products, the inaccessible products. See the human being, who as an artist can make us gape if we let him do, or as a cleaner can provide us with what we expect, even demand rightfully …
… and the same about several hundred professions.
Has a strange world opened at your eyes?
Do we want cleanliness?
Would it be hard to identify with this world?
Please, behave simply as demanding customers. Look for the human connection and take advantage of what is behind it. Buy all that is
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AJÁNLOM AZ OLDALT
