Oldal 14 [14]
portraits, nature photos, as well as his applied and autonomous photos in other areas, are
all of outstanding quality. It is on the combined foundations of all these diverse activities
that his fame rests. If we were to narrow down the scope somewhat in order to concentrate
on the most essential thematics, we may agree with the artist’s own definition, that he is a
photographer of three things: dance, body, nature [each of these words in Hungarian begins
with the letter “t”; Eifert regards himself as a photographer of the three “T”s].°
The high number of his solo exhibitions is also a testament to his truly exceptional
personality. In 2013, he had his 200" solo exhibition. By now, as this text is being written,
that number exceeds 230. There is no point in naming a specific number, however, as, by the
time the publication comes out, this number will undoubtedly be even higher. Indicative of
his energy, in 2018, on the 75" anniversary of his birth, he realized a program series entitled
75 Years - 75 Events. The majority of his exhibition openings are unusual in that they are
often accompanied by music and dance performances. Janos Eifert, in addition to creating
his unique art, has always been a performer; he is not only a curator but a choreographer
as well. Moreover, he his works have been featured in over 2000 group exhibitions in both
Hungary and abroad, which have earned him over 180 awards, grand prizes, special prizes
and certificates. He has pursued his photographic passion in over fifty countries around the
world. From the resulting material he has compiled an exceptionally valuable archive. His
photos, photo reports, and writings have regularly appeared in specialized press both in
Hungary and abroad, as well as in books, publications, and electronic platforms. His photos
are often used as part of film, TV shows, or theatre sets, and the artist himself has frequently
appeared in various films and TV productions.
Beyond - or in combination with - everything mentioned above, he has written the
introduction or foreword to numerous photographic albums and exhibition catalogues, as well
as opened exhibitions and held presentations (whose written texts he documented). Thus,
given the scope of this short monograph, his work can only be summarized here in the form
of headings.
IN PERPETUAL MOTION
Janos Eifert was born in 1943 in Hódmezővásárhely, where he spent the first seventeen
years of his life. He has always cultivated strong ties with his hometown, of which he is now
an honorary citizen. Hódmezővásárhely, where Eifert’s photographic activities began, has
served as a subject and source of inspiration throughout his career. The town’s peasant
world, network of homesteads, along with the unique natural beauty of its surroundings,
22
has naturally influenced his photographic work. He shot his first photographs in the bucolic
natural setting of Martély. The athletic, physically active young man, who was also an excellent
dancer, was seduced by the calling of professional dance before he graduated secondary
school in Hódmezővásárhely; in 1960, he became a dancer for the Honvéd Dance Company
(then Artistic Ensemble of the Hungarian People’s Army), which lasted until 1977. Later he
graduated from secondary school, and then earned a degree as an economist. He began to
intensively engage in photography in the seventies, during the dance company’s international
tours. When, at the peak of his dancing career, he quit, it was (partly) because of photography
— though it is true: by that time he was a nationally recognized photographer. His intensive
engagement with dance as a profession, however, allows for drawing a key conclusion that
applies to his entire photographic career. Namely, that this young man in constant, perpetual
motion also carries that trait into his photography. His instant ability to capture movement,
to record the moment of motion, stemmed not only from his early, strongly driven technical
preparedness, but also from his deep knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of human
movement. Thus, it is also no accident that his first individual exhibition in 1972 was entitled
The Magic of the Stage. On stage, too, everything is in motion, and while, there, many things
resemble reality, they are nonetheless stylized, arranged and designed renditions of it. This
was a determining factor for the entire duration of his later career — to the present day. The
young photographer, who started out as a photo reporter, instantly fulfilled the requirement
articulated by lvan Hevesy decades ago in words that are still valid today: “Art photographers
must, indeed, possess a superior technical knowledge in order to place their professional
skills in the service of artistic expression. This, however, merely means that photographers
must be able to utilize the complex technological strategies of photography not simply for
engaging in self-serving photographic virtuosity, but as tools serving to convey and embody
their pictorial visions in a powerful and convincing manner.” Janos Eifert’s entire life’s journey
and oeuvre prove that, while he is an impeccably prepared artist of technical excellence,
he has never used his knowledge and skill in a self-serving way, but rather as a vehicle for
expressing his pictorial visions as powerfully as possible.
PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY
At the beginning of Eifert’s career, when he was already working as a professional photographer,
his activity primarily consisted of working as a photo reporter, especially since this was the job
he was hired for by various periodicals. He had already proven his abilities previously, however,
during his travels with the dance company. His photo entitled Window of a Children’s Home
23