Imre Szekely is a Hungarian-born graphic artist who came to Canada in 1988. He has worked as an art teacher and graphic artist in Hungary, France, Holland and Austria.
“Creativity and sources of inspiration are as alive and as fresh now as when I was in my 20s,” says Imre, who now lives in Victoria.
Imre combines two genres in his linocut/monotype style of printmaking.
“In linocut,” he says, “the bold engraving of thin, fine lines into linoleum, and the variability it offers is what inspires my creativity. Besides monochrome (black and white, or one colour with all its tones), I can perform layering to give my art more diversity and latitude to capture the viewer’s imagination.”
Linocut printmaking came to the fore in the twentieth century as a variant of woodcut, without the directional grain of wood. A design is cut into the lino surface with a tool such as a knife, chisel or gouge. The uncarved areas, when inked with a roller, show a reverse, or mirror image. British-Australian artists popularized the style between World War I and II. Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse adopted and adapted the method.
The second genre Imre celebrates is monotype in which a unique print is produced with an effect not unlike painting.
“I love the process of making the monotype… using a roller to cover a sheet of glass with colour printing ink, then placing a sheet of offset paper over it and drawing the patterns with a pencil. The offset paper then picks up the ink from the glass only where the pencil draws the line.”
“I came to this method in primary school, where my art teacher, Imre Krausz, taught both linocut and monotype printmaking, but as separate techniques. Combining the two into a single mode of artistic expression was my idea, my invention,” says Imre.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” –Pablo Picasso
“Some years ago, I put on a solo exhibition in Hungary organized by the European Capital of Culture in Pecs. To support the Art Foundation there, I donated 31 works from my collection. I also donated a piece I created, entitled ‘Homage to Pecs,’” says Imre.
“Canada Past, Present and Future” (pictured) represents Imre’s appreciation for the reception of Hungarian refugees after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
“Though I came to Canada much later, I was still welcomed along with my family,” he says.
Imre’s latest gift went to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). In “Satan Sneers” (the artist is pictured holding the work), he sympathizes with the plight of the global community amid the struggle with COVID-19.
Imre has presented his works to present and past Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau and Jean Chretien, and to Pope John Paul II.
“Gifting Justin Trudeau with one of my art pieces was a highlight in my life… this kind of event was impossible in my home country under communist rule. I have also given away works of art to low-income families,” he adds.
Imre’s works have found homes in book illustrations, (notably Truman Capote’s Music for Chameleons), limited-edition prints, and on Christmas cards. His works are in the Vatican, in churches, in Canadian and Hungarian parliament buildings, embassies and consulates.
“The creative urge will invariably lead one sooner or later to discover the mode that best suits one’s artistic expression,” says Imre.
“Don’t wait for inspiration. It comes while one is working.”
–Henri Matisse
Imre is a deeply spiritual and religious man for whom peace is paramount.
“Most humans desire it,” he says. “We artists believe in that, too. And it is through my artwork that I seek to support deserving people and worthy causes. This gives me a more profound satisfaction than all the money in the world.”
Coming from a Communist country where freedom of expression was suppressed makes Imre appreciate a free country like Canada.
“Here, my mind, heart and soul found a new life, nurtured by love, respect and peaceful coexistence with people of diverse backgrounds. It gave me, and later five of my family members, a new start and a whole new life.”
Imre’s work of exploring form and line in the two techniques has brought him to a new style for his motifs: hyper-surrealism, providing him more depth and interpretive freedom. Hyper-surrealism arose from the 1920s surrealist movement of Andre Breton to a “hyper” or exaggerated level in the 1970s. As a poet and writer, Breton felt that freeing one’s mind from the past to arrive at truth through dreams or the unconscious could apply to other art forms.
“The process takes me into a more profound expression of my inner mental, emotional and spiritual world,” says Imre. “This art genre challenges me to go beyond mere technical skill to a deeper level of imagination and a higher vision.”
Hyper-surrealism in art applies to detailed photo editing or painting which fits well with the monotype method. New York City, Iranian-American artist Leila Zafar coined the term. Colour, texture, and pattern inform her (and Imre’s) emotional sensibilities and artistic creativity.
“It takes a long time to become young.” –Pablo Picasso
What life advice does Imre offer? Take care of one’s health and preserve one’s creative juices.
“You may not believe it,” he says, “but playing the world-famous Rubik’s Cube in fast-paced competition is conducive to creativity, focused attention, and fun.”
Imre is a linocut/monotype of guy who encourages through example, a life of artful expression.
For more about Imre Szekely, visit www.szekelygallery.com
Photos by Kor Gable
Joan Boxall is a regular contributor to INSPIRED Magazine and author of
DrawBridge: Drawing Alongside My Brother’s Schizophrenia, Caitlin Press, 2019
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