Vajda Ljos Tabán 1928 

Curator: Look at this city scape! Here we have “Vajda Lajos Tabán 1928” by, as the title suggests, Vajda Lajos. It seems to be made of mixed media – I’m seeing pen, pencil and charcoal, perhaps even watercolor. Editor: Woah, it’s so moody. It reminds me of winters in places I've only dreamed of... abandoned farms, snow. A little eerie too; that gnarled tree and dark doorway give me the shivers, but in a good way. Curator: The historical context of this work is significant. Lajos's engagement with Tabán reflects broader concerns around urban change, class, and displacement that reverberated throughout Hungarian society during this period. It reflects also, perhaps, an intersectional reading, if you will, between human experience and the more than human. Editor: Absolutely! It's like the building is breathing. Or groaning under the weight of the tree. But you can also see that he's used a really soft touch with those pencils to build volume. The colours also—they really amplify the gloom, no? The cold earth tones. That vivid aqua below… gorgeous! Curator: Yes, and let's note that, by centering the experiences and perceptions of everyday life in Tabán, the artist also acknowledges marginalized communities through place and representation. This aligns with expressionist values where emotion and lived experience were prized over realism. Editor: And that almost childlike handwriting in the lower corners... Is it a date or title scribbled there? It's such a strange, intimate detail. Curator: It does speak volumes, yes. It gives an immediacy, even intimacy, as you suggest. The text adds to that conversation you began about abandoned landscapes – or to places on the brink of becoming abandoned, on the cusp. Editor: Exactly. What's haunting about it is the feeling that these colours may fade to complete grey soon… the kind of weather-worn colours buildings fade into before nature consumes them again. So poignant. Curator: Well, thanks to this work, we can still, in a sense, engage and remember that which would otherwise fade completely. Editor: Indeed. Thanks, Lajos!