Mária Geszler-Garzuly

Ceramicist

Human forms and technology at one

Mária's works are a combination of porcelain ceramics and photographic techniques
She is inspired by patterns of nature and the rhythms of human movement
Her abstract pieces bring together several techniques and cultural influences

Mária Geszler-Garzuly earned a degree in ceramics from what is now the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in 1965, before travelling extensively in the central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union to study the ceramic art of the region. Her work initially incorporated Hungarian folk art traditions but was later also greatly influenced by Japanese ceramics and textiles. Since the 1970s, Mária has adopted a highly experimental approach in combining photographs with the use of clays fired at high temperatures, such as chamotte and porcelain. By using photographic techniques and computer graphics, she has created a unique visual world that reflects both the marvels and mysteries of the industrial age and the spiritualism and fallibility of the human race.

Interview

What drew you to the visual arts, considering you come from a musical family?: I am constantly listening to music and it frequently features in my work, so I never really left music behind. I take inspiration from all sources, and my definition of music is also broad – it can be anything from a sigh to the tapping of rain.
Why did you choose ceramics?: Whenever I read and hear words, I see images. I became a ceramic artist to translate these words into objects, but I also fell in love with photography. Ceramics provide a medium for transferring images onto the surface of a sculpture.
What other sources of inspiration do you have?: I draw inspiration from the world around me, the ‘V’ formation of a flock of birds, the chimneys of factories breathing out shapes in smoke, our hands touching doors and latches, and the footmarks we leave on the ground.
How do you relate to the world?: The communicative space of written and readable texts is increasingly being replaced by noises, voices, whispers, screams, and music, but the winner is visual language. Everything is filled with images: I live in intoxication of the spectacle.

Mária Geszler-Garzuly is a master artisan: she began her career in 1965 and she started teaching in 1985