dátum: 79.07.        fájl: c-fajlok/c00838-1.htm             C.00838-839

[olvastam a cikküket Rothkoról, festő vagyok, tanulok angolul, szeretnék információkat, netán könyvet R. életéről és haláláról]

Dear Mr. Peter Schjeldahl!

My letter is written
in occoasion reading
your article on Rothko
in ''Art in America''
(1979 No. 2.)

Excuse me for my very poor active english knowlidge, I read better.

I am a painter. As the critics write: liric abstract. I am in practice for (since?) 10 years.
Usually I show my paintings 15-20 times a year, and I had 13 one-man-show too.

Rothko is the first painter in the States I rather like. I met his picture ''No. 10'' in my early youth in 1957 in the Herbert Reads book. I was a child but this painting was very important for me.
My first possybiliti to have a trip to the West-Europian coutrys was in 1970, I was lucky to see the great Rothko-memorial -exibition in Venice.
It was staggering. My only sorry was, I did'nt any money to buy a catalog.

I have begun to learn english on my own pleasure using alone it, at home. First day I began to translate the book: ''Ancien Arts of Americas''.
I took it by speedety: two sentences in an hour. Since that time I  translate one hour every day, especially professional books, and I have read 4 Graham Greene novel too. Last autum a friend of mine travelled to London. I asked him to bring me some matters on Rothko. (diary, letters, biography etc.) But he didnt found anything. In Hungary till this day there isnt any possibility to buy on this subject anything, nor reproductions on Rothko.
Because my likeing I am very interesting te know something on Rothko. It was an lucky accident to found your article. The article you answered was may be a result of a speculation out of our job. There are always people and ideas wanted to show themselves interesting. If one see the art of painting from inside, is not any question for him wheather was Rothko a genie or net. He was.
The fine-arts speak always about the mainproblems of the mankind. Rothko followed tipically this way. Remembering on his paintings he was interested in the problem of Time (and Speace), like Charden (born 1600) and Jan Vermeer von Delft. They pictures are timeless too. As if the clock would have been stopped, for ever. Rothko always make remember us an the opposition of the time. And from the problem of times-timeless in only one step to the question: limited-endlessly, and relativ beeing- and absoluutum. In this sense Rothko must be a believer.

The things I am interesting having read your article:
- Rothkos life and the circumstances of his death
- what does it men: Mojava Dessert
- has done Rothko mural works? are they finished?
- I dont know anything the change of his styl among 1960-70, I never seen any reproduction on this period. (His pictures made before 1948 I am not interesting / xxx)
- What is the Chapel in Housten?
- Is it right, that Rothko told: ''I am on the level of Rembrandt.'' / If he told he was right./
- it would be interesting me to read the article of Robert Hughes (''Blue Chip Sublime'' / because knowing of it some particulars of Rothkos.

Finally my direct reqests!
The only possibility me to get informations on Rothko to ask you to send me all the matters you can find me. (articles in xerox atc.)
And I would be happy to get a good album, or reproductions.
If you expect I send them back after or on your desire I send you albums on the best Hungarian painters. You will see our bests arn't provincial.

I was glad to read your article, I congratulat.

1979.7.15.
yours sincerely:

Váli Dezső
H-1027 Budapest
Mártirok útaja 64/b
Hungary

I am sending You some slide on my paintings.
There are in oil, about 140 centimetre.