The Caricatures of Anna Vasvári (1923-1990)
curator: Katalin F. Dózsa, art historian
on view: 18 December 2008 – 30 January 2009

On 17 December, an exhibition featuring the selected works of Anna Vasvári will open at the kArton Gallery. But who was Anna Vasvári? This only has to be explained to the latest generation, as “to the infant, all jokes are new”. In the 1960s and 70s, however, a whole country laughed at her witty, precise drawings and ideas. We know her as the expert humorist of “Female Matters”.  And, indeed, she seized upon the absurdities of female (and male) characteristics and relationships in the wittiest manner. 

She was very much at home in the world of fashion, which is no surprise as she began her carrier as a fashion designer. In the first section of the exhibition, we can see a bouquet of her delicately drawn fashion designs, followed by caricatures poking fun at fashion. These, at the same, provide extracts from various periods in fashion, which are further attested to by the original photos, objects (women’s clothing, sunglasses, and hats from the 1960s and 70s) and fashion-magazine cutouts placed next to the drawings. Perhaps, for the drawing that lists all the places where a Hungarian woman can acquire her items of clothing, it is necessary to explain the lack of selection  that characterised the time. The words of the woman staggering in her high heel boots are still relevant: “Yesterday, I saw a woman who could walk entirely on her own”.      
“So should I have a nervous breakdown now, or go to the hairdresser instead?” This is one of the main questions of the next section of the exhibition. Seduxen was the Prozac of that age. This is what the gathered villagers are opening instead of shelling corn. The women back then had nervous breakdowns– at least according to Anna Vasvári.
Romantic relationships – from dating to divorce – are a whole different story. The female version of the “Thinker” sits on the pedestal pondering (in a headscarf) what to cook for dinner. The mother jumps rope between her husband and her sons. But the aged admirer who kneels in front of his young lover, and who would stand up if only his back pain let up, is no less funny. It was also in the 60s and 70s that unisex became fashionable, boys grew their hair long and girls wore trousers – thereby supplying material for the artist’s humorous depictions. One of her funny ideas is also brought to life at the exhibition. Why couldn’t the boys wear skirts if girls can wear trousers? And just as in the drawing, we can also see a mannequin sporting a banana skirt, a shirt and a tie.        
First and foremost, however, Vasvári parodies women’s characteristics – both the good and the bad attributes. The caricature series entitled “Female Matters” was published as a book, and was also the subject of a film, which can be seen by the visitors of the exhibition. The latter acquired international success; it won a prize at the 1964 Film Week in Vienna. This was not Vasvári’s only international achievement, however. Her drawings won prizes and were published in Italy in 1964 and in West Berlin in 1977. 

 Her most timely works are those dealing with public life – even though her relationship to the topic had a rocky start. When, in 1945, she began working for Ludas Matyi, she was given precise instructions regarding the type of political topics, well-known Western politicians, and “domestic” enemies (such as kulaks), while popularising “positive examples” as well. She kept these instructions, which, in its pale, typewritten rendering, is now displayed for visitors along with the drawings created at that time.  
Thankfully, later on, humour no longer had to be produced on command.  And so it is that we can also see – now even more timely – drawings about environmental protection, for example: someone in a row of cars in the middle of the prairie enquiring how far it is to Aradi Street, or a “Do Not Enter” sign at the border of the city of Budapest. 
We take pleasure in looking at Anna Vasvári’s drawings. She used but a few lines to sketch her figures. She was a brilliant graphic artist with a brilliant sense of humour. It is a shame that she is gone from us, as she would find ever newer topics for her work even today. We could use her amiably sardonic take on the world to help us, women and men, take ourselves a little less seriously.   

supported by: BTM, NKA, NKÖM,