How do you feel yourself at Isaszeg?

. In March number of our serie I asked Proksza, Gyöngyi: how do you feel yourself at Isaszeg?

. In the prevoius number I talked with couple Kovács. They are environmentalists and natural philosophers. This is why they have probably choosen Isaszeg for domicile. As far as I know Proksza, Gyöngyi has also close relation to the nature.

. I am forest engineer, graduated from Sopron University in 1968. There is a close relation to the nature and agriculture in our family and ancestors, I remember well. My father was a beemaster and we helped his work from spring until fall. My first impression relating to the nature was in my age of 3 and not later, at the same time my mother teached biology in the elementary school. As I remember in the first class of the school in my age of 6, when we were drawing decoration lines in our workbook I sketched stags. And this one has been guarded by my familiy as a curiosity of that sort. My relation with the nature has been altogether enstrenghtened by the practical side, when we moved to Isaszeg.

. You have not lived in Isaszeg for years, where have you been living and what have you been dealing with?

. I was a teacher in Szeged as a forest engineer. We lived there for ten years. My children were born here. I liked very much teaching having pedagogical ability, but I always desired to live and work near by the nature. The first offering occasion was Nagybajom, Somogy County, where I was working as a forest engineer. I have the the best remembrences from this times. My employment finished in 1982. After this I was given different jobs based on my language knowledge. I had several working places where I teached German and English language. That time we lived already in Szenyér next to Marcali and the lake Balaton. Later, from 1995 I worked in Nagyatád as a language teacher and translator. I went often by foot, by bus or by stopping cars out from Szenyér. My work was in connection with IFOR troups settlement here. It was very nice checking how I could make some profit from my self-educated English knowledge. I translated especially to Americans from Texas, who stayed here for eight months. Also this working place of mine came to an end.


The paintress-artisan Gyöngyi, Proksza - as a student of her last year - an absolvent - of the University of Forestry at Sopron, - in 1968.


. We could recently meet your pictures many times, you had several exhibitions. How have you got connection with paintry?

. Surely, my interesting, virtual improvement in arts and loving of nature are meaning for me a very old relation inherited by my ancestors. Seeing now my pictures, the attractions of travels and walkings appear in an enormous quantity on my pictures. I always work recalling memories, "films" of then times, recording sometimes forests, landscapes, meadows, marshes and brooks. This way there are in front of me the extremely rich natural beauties, the old manners of living and the values of folk art in which Somogy County is very aboundant. I met very much people, from the poorest until the wealthy entrepreneurs. I always had some works of mine with me, presenting them, talking about how to form thematics, develop expressions. I have never taken part in any official academical graduation, but I read very much special literature, I go everywhere, to museums and exhibitions where I can enlarge my knowledge. Many people attacked my art and said it naíve, some people said it too modern and the other said too conservative. This way the best I can do not to pay special attention to the critics, but I develop myself from inward attractions and deduced life experiences. Everybody said my pictures pleasant, balanced, warm and soft. Today in Hungary the absolute jury is the buying people. I met an artist who has sold no one picture for three months. I had an exhibition in Nagyatád from 80 pictures and this time I had the first TV spot. The sellings and successes there gave me an impression that it is worth to work seriously. This is why I moved to Budapest and settled my exhibition in the capital, in Isaszeg and Gödöllő. There was a Szonda Ipsos public opinion measure some years ago, which said that Budapest and Pest County are the worst, Somogy county is the best in selling and buying. I would like to increase my successes in Somogy County. Contrary I could surprisingly experience that Szonda Ipsos had right.

. Your mother, aunt Irene has thought also me. Who is an original localpatriot, she partakes caring the traditions of the village, although she was not born at Isaszeg. What kind of connection have you to Isaszeg, what does Isaszeg mean in your life?

. I have already mentioned, we have moved here in 1952, our family lived at Túrkeve in the middle of the Hungarian lowland, in the Great Kumania. I could be perhaps eight years old, when we got here, just then, when the young people are the most capacible for the beauty and nature. All these were given here that this sensibility could increase in myself. I remember well we went to collect healing plants with the school, this time I was walking for the first time in the surroundings of the Old Church and upon the Old Hill. These memories are so alive, that I feel even today the smell of grasses. It is established by many people that Isaszeg has very great fortune as for the natural characteristics. It means forestd, hills, valleys, brooks. It is a lucky fact that you can find here everything including the historical and cultural heritage. I had often visited my parents here, when I had been living somewhere else. This situation had caused an amphibiontism, but I was never parted from Isaszeg, - and today I have again this village as my home.

. Can we have any information concerning your future plans?

. The Henry Ford Foundation has some very serious possibilities to applicate, - I am going to hand a project in here. The substance of it is to save the environmental and cultural heritages and both Szenyér and Isaszeg are suitable for this because there is a strong similarity between these villages. I have two weeks still for this - I will to hand it in.

. I wish you could realize your plans and thus could increase the reputation of Isaszeg.


Appeared, in "Resource", a local periodical of Isaszeg, in March of 2000.

Pénzes, János