He had to get out

I have a to make confession. It gave me always a really hard time when someone asked me what is Hungary about. Honestly I couldn't really understand why this question comes in the first three drafts of a conversation when someone meets me first time. I still don't get it. I am much more interested in other questions and I don't believe that there is a sharp answer to that question in a world where in Budapest I don't have but one native speaker and Hungarian born neighbor.
This question made me a hard time when I was in Finland for a year. There I could feel what Finland was all about. After coming home I was pretty much crazy about this question. I thought I had to find something, something what is not the good red homegrown tomato which I love anyway. I was randomly picking music pieces, paintings, writers from the Hungarian pop culture and from the so called "grand art", but somehow I could not feel the thing what I was looking for. I use the 'thing' term on purpose, because at that time I was not sure what I was looking for. Time went by and I discussed my problem with friends with some of my teachers, with musicians and artist, and at one pont I realized, this is an unsolved question almost for all of them. What makes this question so intense that we can not relate ourselves to any other thing here in Hungary but to ourself. What makes this country bitter sweat and full of secrets and jealousy that the a talent can not flourish unless it leaves the country.
So at one day, when I was doing my daily routine thinking on big questions, I find an quote from Giacometti -  who is now my favorite artist for be observed - ; " Brassai photograph me like this. I am a wreck. The future looks rather bleak. I ask myself how long I will be able to go on molding. I find myself at an impasse. I really don't know how to get out of it. And despite, everything you see, I keep on working, keep on doing my thing." Giacometti wrote this to Brassai in 1965, who was a Hungarian photographer.
I show you here some photos made by him. The one that is mentioned in the quote I am very sorry, but I can not show, because my computer is to old, and it gave me a hard time when I tried to download. But you can look after it.
Anyway here are some photos by Brassai. Plug you ears if Brassai is your favorite artist but I wouldn't say that he is the greatest photographer. What is interesting for me, that he wanted to experience a community what he found traveling and working around the world. Brassai was born in Brasov 1899 to an Armenian mother and Hungarian father. He learned painting and sculpture at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. So the story for me begins here. I like very much when one has parents of different nationalities. It does not make one special, but it gives a cultural ravel right at the beginning to his understanding.
In 1924 Brassai moved to Paris to live, where he would stay for the rest of his life. Living among the gathering of young artist in the Montparnasse quater, he took a job as a journalist. Instead of telling his life story, I will try to tell you what is important in his works for me.

Photos by Brassai: Giacometti in his studio

The pictures he made was mostly taken about his artist friends and about the city he loved. On the pictures you can see how much this guy appreciated the community he was living in. He is a fan of Paris and all those great artist. He was paying attention to the distinguished artist to be palpable years later. What I see here - and it is very important to be noticed - is the eye what highlights and pass on all the enthusiastic observations through time and space.