Vera Molnar - 80 years young

I hope that in all the current flurry of history this and history that in computer art we do make sure to celebrate a very special birthday of a very special artist, Vera Molnar. This year, Vera Molnar celebrates her 80th birthday. Congratulations, Vera, we wish you many more creative years.

Looking at the photographs taken at her recent show at the maerz galerien in Mannheim und Ladenburg, both cities/towns in Germany, you can see Vera posing and even dancing in front of her work and in general having a good time.



I have to admit, the pictures of her in front of this large installation are probably among the most playful and colorful I have seen of her work. Often it comes across somewhat austere and intellectual but here everything shines warmly and reflects pure joy.

Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1924, Vera moved with her husband, François(Ferenc) Molnar, in 1947 to Paris. Together they developed a strong interest in concrete art and the science of vision. Over many years Vera used the concept of a machine imaginaire to make pictures before she got access to computers in 1968 to plot her drawings. I had the great fortune to meet her personally when she visited California with her husband more than 15 years ago. After our meeting I received annually a postcard with her New Year's greetings, each showing of one of her computer pieces on the cover. Too bad that we moved too often and the cards stopped coming. Otherwise we would be the proud owners of a nice Vera Molnar collection today.

On another personal note I like to report that she shared with my wife, Zsuzsanna Molnar, a page spread in a catalog of a show at the Museum of Art in Budapest featuring Hungarian artists in Exile. Funny, how the two Molnar ladies shared the same birthplace, their name, and their passion for computer generated imagery.

The complete oevre of the Grand Dame of computer art is featured in two lavishly illustrated books, one dedicated to her black and white work, the other to color. At Euro 150 the books are not what you call cheap (and on top of the price you pay it takes a major effort to order them and a lot of patience until they are delivered). Sadly, Vera Molnar's work is hardly known in the USA and is still awaiting a major show stateside. Until then we wait for the catalogs to arrive and bide our time glancing at a few web sites which discuss her work in French, some German, and just a touch of English:
Eine Frau laesst die Quadrate tanzen
fondation salomon
oniris - galerie d'art contemporain
Municipial Museum of Art