Velvet Paintings
Exhibit of Noemi Szeredi Ambrus
The current exhibit offers a glimpse at the 25 year creative past of Noemi Ambrus. Her early works display the characteristics of classical paintings; these pieces featuring plants were created by aquarelle technique. Although her paintings already revealed talent, soon a new artistic medium appeared in her work: textile.
These pieces of fabric (including velvet and silk) constitute her art’s definitive media. The delicate materials of her pieces were once the treasures of long lost objects, pieces of clothing, rich fabrics of the former homes and interiors of nobility, bourgeoisie, aristocracy as well as those from the religious sphere.
These objects, which had lost their luster and function, came to Noemi Ambrus’ atelier where, by metamorphosis, they found their well-deserved place as elements of artworks: textile paintings. Her paintings representing plants have undergone multiple transformation, considering that fabric was once a plant, then yarn, then an object. These materials, through the artist’s work, transformed into a textile painting of a flower (Poppy) or tree, thus becoming a plant once again.
In Noemi Ambrus’ art the preservation of tradition balances out with the contemporary. Going beyond the technical experiments with textiles, a new period has emerged in her art: the appearance of abstract. Her work is characterized by continuous restless artistic search and re-thinking.In her paintings she has not been satisfied with mere decorative purpose and a high technical level. She has instead attempted to ‘weave in’ human emotions, natural phenomena, and abstract concepts into her art.
Thus she created her more recent works (‘Great Motive’, ‘Tulip Series’, ‘Music Academy’) which embody the secessionist art characteristics, and, at the same time, contemporary art. The fusion of tradition and contemporary forms is the essence of these metaphoric art pieces (The Tulip, Purple Fog, Moon Tulip). The sophisticated mix originates from the materials and the artist’s mindfulness, which observes tradition but does not just follow the actual artistic trends; beyond esthetics this points towards a fresh, personalized direction.
Her works reflect the disciplines of the academic milieu grounded in deep family values. She bows to the great masters of art history, but also respects Nature. Noemi Ambrus’ textile works are part of many private collections.
Sylvia Silye (art critic and esthetic)