Photographer Zoltán Pólya passed away

2010. May 28.

Zoltán Pólya,  photographer, MTI journalist for 13 years died at the age of 57.

Initially he was active in the fields of music, literature and visual arts, later he became the sport and political columnist of MTI’s (Hungarian News Agency) Domestic Editorial Office and the head of the photo department. He was the photo editor of several leading new papers and weeklies (Képes7, Mai nap, Respublika, 168 óra etc.). He has been the deputy editor-in-chief of Kurir for many years from 1993.
He was a member of various photographers’ associations in Hungary. He played an active role in the education of young journalists as the senior lecturer of the György Bálint School of Journalism since 1991. He presented his photos at various exhibitions (The Circus is Mine, 1987 - Ernst Museum, Just the Way You Are, 1991 – Duna Gallery, Etudes for Lightning Machine, 2001 – Photo Art Gallery, Manó Gallery among others).
They also appeared at several joint exhibitions with his wife, photographer Zsuzsa Pető, for instance at the FÉK Gallery in Göd in 1996 (Just the Way We Are!) and at the Kiscelli Museum in the same year (Walls) where they intorduced the changing environment of Óbuda-Újlak. In 2000 they exhibited their works together with the artists of the Kelenhegyi Street Atellier (Atellier on Gellért Hill). They were regularly to be found in photography camps that also released photo albmus including some memorable landscape images taken by Zoltán Pólya.
The artist has participated at Hungarian and international photo competitions since 1975. His oeuvre was recongised by 70 different prizes and awards. The most outstanding of those were the 3rd prize in the art category of the World Press Photo contest in the Netherlands in 1986, and the first three prizes and Grand Prize of the 1989 Interpress photo contest.
In 2001 the collection of his works was published as Volume 12 of the Photo Almanach, his „Out There and In Here” album was published in 2003 („Only Images” series of the Városháza Publishing House). His further publications include a cookery book called „...we will taste that” (2003), a Photo Dictionary based on Mór Ballagi’s Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language (2005). He published calendars and he is also included in the Hungarian Photographers’s Anniversary Album.
He has been photographing the Palace of Arts since the very moment of its opening – capturing the images of many outstanding performances and events. Many articles, commentaries, critiques writtten on various events were illustrated by his sophisticated, telling photos in the printed media.
The Palace of Arts’ 5th Anniversary photo album called „ExperienceImages” includes many of his most beautiful photos. The Palace of Arts considers its restless chronicler the deceased of its own. His funeral will be arranged at a later date.

28.05.2010.