Johanna 75

In Johanna Kovács’s prints, human social relationships are rendered in ink, pen, and brush. She began working in printmaking because she felt compelled to interpret and express her defining literary experiences through the medium of the visual arts. Her work offers interpretations and visual representations of the works of the greatest figures in literature — from Kafka to Imre Kertész — and the luminaries of musical culture, from Handel to Bartók. In her spatial, 3D, and graphic works, Picasso’s well-known statement that there is no abstract work in and of itself clearly resonates. The artist begins with an idea, a problem, and then gradually reduces the intensity of expression to include only the real elements that influence it and their traces. Hir erudition and commitment to the development of culture motivated hir to support the next generation and help them establish successful, recognized artistic careers. This is why it is important for the artist and the art critic to share the same cultural knowledge and outlook on life. This is why the situation is difficult for an artist who does not fit into a mainstream, who cannot be classified into artistic movements. At art symposia and artist colonies, this diversity is also fruitful for artists who think and work differently.