Žilvinas Kropas: about the limits and distribution of photography
The young generation artist Žilvinas Kropas lives and creates in the city of Panevėžys. Since 2015 he is a member of the Board of Panevėžys Photographers’ Society. The feature of Žilvinas Kropas’s artistic creation is that he creates an artistic shot using solargraphy and pinhole techniques. The photo printed on the canvas causes a number of allusions with painting. The photographer regards himself as a complete idealist, seeking beauty and harmony everywhere, able to appreciate the spiritual and cultural values with a special intuition and lucid imagination. His photographs have recently been published in the American visual art magazine “Shots”. The photographs of this publication were one of the dreams that became reality. From 2017, Ž. Kropas collaborates with Public Company „Gabrielė‘s Art Gallery“.
Photographer has participated in group exhibitions in Belarus, Argentina, recently a member of the group’s exhibition in England.
You are a young generation artist, taking part in international photography projects. You just participated in a group show in England, could You tell us what impressions did You have in the big competition to get to this exhibition? How did foreigners appreciate Your work?
When I began to share my solo works on the public, i.e., on the Internet, I got a lot of interest from outside. Many comments, reactions and personal suggestions, such as the purchase of works, the organization of personal exhibitions, participation in creative workshops. Then I joined the private group Antiquarian Avant-Garde Art & Processes and received a personal invitation to participate in the exhibition. I did not compete, I was just selected with five other participants from other countries. I realized that my work from the past was monitored. In 2018, on the 28th of April, in the United Kingdom, the “Mirror” gallery hosted a group-wide interdisciplinary art exhibition “Visible in Time” in which I participated with my work “100 days. From series of solargraphy” (“100 days“ of the series of solargraphy, year of creation – 2017, limited pressure on the canvas). The exhibition’s curator invited six artists to consider the concept of time-out, in addition to the direct intervention of the artist. The art exhibition can be viewed until July 1st at the South Hill Park Mirror Gallery, Ringmead, RG12 7PA UK, Cat Cooke. The testimonials about the exhibition are very warm for me personally.
As Cat Cooke, the show curator mentioned, was the most engaging job. The visitors of the exhibition mentioned that the work looks stunning and weird. Now, warm relations have arisen, new acquaintances have appeared in the world of art, a conversation about a personal exhibition is developing.
You create abstract photographs using solargraphy techniques, maybe You can tell why You chose this technique?
First of all about my photo technique. I’m taking pictures of self-made pinhole cameras. I got 100 pcs. The camera itself looks like this: an empty beer can, inside a light-sensitive photo paper leaflet, instead of a lens, with a needle-shaped cuff, a very small split in a can, through which light penetrates and creates an image on a photo paper and everything, nothing more there, no electronics, or batteries.
And now, for a little-known branch of photography, it’s soloography. I photographed the sun with these 100 cans. I’m taking a photo in different seasons, as well as in various time exposures, this is very very long terms in hours, months, and sometimes all year round. I am a record-saver of time, all the time that has elapsed in a single photograph, with which I, as an artist, can influence here… The final photograph has a lot of surprises and uncertainties, a lot of strange things. The photograph is unpredictable and mysterious, somewhat unnatural, like an abstract world, wanting to watch it for a long time, try to understand it or dive into it with your own thoughts.
I’m back to the primeval photography secrets. Using old pinhole techniques, I create mystical works that combine reality with the world of dreams and subconscious.
My works are mostly made up of sun, air, water, i.e. the whole environment. All the pictures are as if they are unitary, they can not be reproduced, I also do not want to manipulate them, I try to leave the way the environment has been created.
I chose this strange way of photographing because I do not like all those beautiful and very precisely arranged photos, and I do not like the fact that everyone can make a similar picture. You want something unique, something real and unmanaged, the purpose of creating a different world in a picture.
What topics are important to You in Your creation work?
At the moment, the most attracted and loved is the abstract art, I get feedback that my works look like painting and it’s hard to understand what has been portrayed and how it is created here. I focus very much on photography, which I call “gloomy mysticism.” There I seem to have a curtain behind the backside of the world.
What are Your future plans for creation?
I’m looking for a gallery abroad that will present me, take care of my creative path, sell my works. I want to present my works and my creation work to the strong art magazines “Blur magazine“, “The Hands“, and I want my portfolio to be presented at “L’oeil de la photographie“. Well, of course, everyone is waiting for my first personal exhibition.
With artist Ž. Kropas talked art critic Gabrielė Kuizinaitė
Fragment’s from the exhibition “Visible time’ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A look at exhibition “Memory“ by textile artist Marijona Sinkevičienė
At present, at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Ryga, the exhibition “Memory” by well-known textile artist Marijona Sinkevičienė is underway. This year’s exhibition has already been exhibited in various places in Lithuania: in the Parliament of Seimas, in Vilnius City Hall, in Kėdainiai, in gallery “Art Park”.
Textile artist Marijona Sinkevičienė was born in Tauragė district, lives and creates in Kaunas. In 1971, in Kaunas Stepas Žukas‘s Art College, she acquired the specialty of clothing simulation. In 1976-1982 she studied at Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, acquired a textile specialty. She worked as a lecturer at Kaunas College, later became an assistant professor. Since 1987, M. Sinkevičienė is a member of Lithuanian Artists’ Union. Belongs to the textile group “We Are”. Participates in group exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. The artist participates in plein-airs, creative workshops, and implements textile art projects. The works of M. Sinkevičienė have been acquired by Polish, Gdynia, Krosno, Lithuanian Art Museum, the Lithuanian Art Museum of Krosno, the National M. K. Čiurlionis‘s Museum, and Raseiniai Region Historical Museum. She has created the textile works for the National Drama Theater of Kaunas (1986), has created a tapestry cycle “Seasons of the Year” (1987) for the Ukrainian-Slavic kindergarten-crèche.
Could you tell us about the idea of creating this project?
In my creative work I try to understand the topical issues related to the history of our nation, cultural heritage and traditions. Upon approaching the 100th anniversary of Lithuanian statehood, I wanted to make Lithuania stand out in its creative work. All the more so because my family relates to the historical events of the century: partisan struggles, exile, January 13th. I, personally, actively participated in the rallies organized by the Movement, on January 12th I was in charge of the Chamber of Parliament of Lithuania, listening to songs performed in people’s lips, scandals, which united the hearts of thousands of people into one common goal and desire – Freedom. Therefore, I wanted to create this textile work “Memory” on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the statehood of Lithuania.
How many years have you worked in the field of textile art, which topics are the closest to you, as the artist?
In 1982 I graduated from Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts and began to work in creative work. The first exhibitions I attended took place in 1982. Estonia – Tartu Textile Miniatures and in Tallinn (Triennial of the Baltic Republics). I’m doing creative work to this day.
The themes of creative works are chosen close to my own worldview, because in my opinion I see the whole and harmony, and therefore the themes of my creative work derive from my inner concept. I like to go deep into the theme of creative work, analyze it, explore it. It was not accidental that I participated in the project “Cultural Heritage – Sacred Textile” organized by Raseiniai region, which took place in 2008.
The author of the tapestries presented at the exhibition, with various textures, sings Lithuanian anthem songs “Lithuania dear”, as if playing in fragments, appeals to the memory of every Lithuanian, national identity and feelings of Lithuanian self-esteem.
The characters are recognizable for Lithuanian people in the works. An important accent is the decorative texture composition, a harmony of colors and characters. The author captures important events for Lithuania through a different language of characters and scripts. The textual story is perceived by the viewer as a narrative of artistic story through the symbol of the oak branch, the symbol of the flag or other signs typical of historical and cultural memory.
In other tapestries of the exhibition, M. Sinkevičienė improvises traditional folk patterns ornaments and colors, modernizes them in contemporary textile language and invites dialogue with historical memory.
Art critic Gabrielė Kuizinaitė
Fragment from the exibition
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Exhibition “Art is my emotions” of painter Valentinas Jankauskis
In the public library of Vincas Kudirka featured a young generation painter Valentinas Jankauskis‘s personal exhibition of paintings. The exhibition has already been presented at Pagėgiai Library, Pagėgiai Library Branches, Tauragė Culture Palace, Pagėgiai Frontier District. At the present time the exhibition is located in the Old Town of Kaunas, at Vincas Kudirka‘s Public Library, in Kaunas (address: A. Mapu str. 18).
The author graduated from the painting courses at Kaunas College, and has been painting from the 8th grade. He lives and creates in Tauragė: takes pictures and paints. In the personal exhibition V. Jankauskis presents his works, created in 2014-2018. Over the course of a few years, works have been created in abstract stylistics. The paintings can be divided into the ideas, the realization and dissemination of thought, and the symbolic and metaphorical cycles, in each work to look for deeper answers and meaning. A great deal of attention in the creation work of Jankauskis is devoted to color nuance, line decorative and variety, and artistic composition. The stylistics and coloring of each painting are varied, constantly changing. The artist constantly emphasizes the importance of emotion not only in his work, but also in the name of the exhibition. Emotion dictates artistic solutions, which also results in improvised, expressive language of the work and colouristic. Through the geometrised forms and details V. Jankauskis expresses his own concept of the world, in a frequent work of the painter, attention is paid to creating and purifying the unity of lines, forms and colors.
Emotionally pulsating works, expressive shapes and details, sufficiently bright, unscrambled colors, their contractions and contrasts are expressive in their visual dynamics, encoding at least some of the meanings of their own viewer, creating a single but distinct world in which mysticism exists, is not a mystery, and at the same time the diversity of the world, which expresses the fullness of the inner and outer world, the spectrum of its change, which is always marked with a sign of emotion and certainty.
By presenting his creation work Valentinas Jankauskis says: “I am sending inspiration from the attention-grab detail that makes up illusions in my head. After that, I’ll rethink where the detail fits and … It’s done!!! When the heart desires, the thoughts are ready for self-expression. For me, any detail that has helped to matured the fruit of the creativity is important. More precisely, it would sound like this: “If you do not want to eat, start eating and you begin to feel the hunger.” Creating inspiration for different emotions: sadness, good mood, women, people … The difficult explanation of the word is inspiration. Some may well explain, but it is unlikely that they themselves understand it deeply. You can explain it, but not everyone can feel it. It is possible to explain the nature of the fire, but the mouth won‘t get hot. It needs to be felt … Without the real water and the true fire it is impossible to understand them. It’s impossible to describe the inspiration, the sense of how to feel and to sweat all of your own in words. No one can understand everything based solely on the explanations of another person. So this is the case with my work: it remains mysterious and misunderstood from the country. First of all, you need to feel it…“
Looking at the pictures of Valentinas Jankauskis, the theme diversity of his works is amazing. His work combines abstract stylistics as a tool for artist’s improvisation and constant search. Using various means of expression and their help in creating very individual symbols, the painter presents artistic narratives dominated by transformed natural motifs, urban fragments and their interpretations, abstract images that create unexpected parallels. The titles of works are dominated by the specifics: “Bottle and man’s image in one”, “Nature”, “The family of storks” or a hint, invitation to a deeper dialogue: “Cry”, “Energy”.
In the abstract painting “City” dominates the nuanced combinations of violet and greenish colors. An important aspect of the artistic composition here is the urban landscape – the motifs of buildings, which acquire a geometric rhythm, encoding the abstract image of the city, city change and a vital concept, all of which allows the viewer to discover an individual relationship with his own city.
The main attraction of the painting “The Cry” is improvisation on the topic of the branch of ashberry berries. Fragmented natural motif, abstract painting style does not blur the shape of the berries, but characterizes the color, which becomes expressive as much as “screaming” accent. What does this painting work say? Most likely, it emphasizes the subtle emotional relationship with nature, highlights the colorful dynamics.
The exhibition testifies to the fact that the author already has a developed creative work. The creation work of the painter is diverse, experimental from time to time. Through abstract forms appearing in the nuances of color, it provokes the viewer to ask, to consider, to stimulate improvisation, to make him think, to philosophize, to feel and not to fear the emotion that we all need.
Art critic Gabrielė Kuizinaitė
Valentinas Jankauskis pictures:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gitas Markutis’s exhibition “White Blue Landscape”
At gallery “Balta” artist Gitas Markutis presents an exhibition “White Blue Landscape”, consisting of twenty large-scale paintings. G. Markutis wasn’t interested in art from the first time. In 1986-1993 he studied construction economics at Vilnius Technical University. In 2002-2006 – pedagogy of art in Marijampolė’s College. Since 2006 he participates in exhibitions: organizes personal exhibitions and participates in group exhibitions. Gitas Markutis’s works complement the tradition of Lithuanian painting with modernized interpretations of the colouristic variety, architectural and landscape fragments. The detail of the architecture and the image of nature merges, complement each other in his works. Color combinations, contrasts and accents clarify, enliven the general composition of the painting, give a mood to work.
Gitas Markutis’s paintings are distinguished by the sensitivity to nature, the environment, and the historical details of architecture. Of the subjectively important details, it consists of its artistic world, dominated by the expressive manner of painting, the dynamics of the composition. All of this, features of the artist’s individual stylistics.
In the latest G. Markutis’s cycle “White Blue Landscape” dominate the bright colors: blue, green, brown, yellow, geometrically colored images and forms the basis of the pictorial image created by Gitas Markutis. The author pays much attention to the rhythms of the lines, forms, but coloration and emotion give the works a unique peculiarity. It has already been mentioned that the author is very individually conveying the concept of separate regions of Kaunas and the famous places of Lithuania in his painting, highlighting them in unexpected portraits. This is also evident in the exhibition under discussion, which distinguishes not only the author’s philosophical approach and the supposed look at a specific landscape, but also an architectural monument. The exhibition presents the following works: “Hot Sun”, “Kaunas Castle”, “Spring near Pažaislis”, “Kuršių Nerija”, “Spring Landscape”, “Near Nemunas”, “Rusnė”, “Stairs to Astrava”, “Confluence near Kaunas Castle” and others. The artist’s works can be divided into ideas, symbolic and abstract cycles. A lot of attention in G. Markutis’s work is devoted to color nuance, line decorations and artistic composition. His paintings are characterized by expressive shapes and details of a particular, artistic composition that is sensitive to it. In the art of G. Markutis, the relation with space and place is extremely personal and individual. Each exhibition displayed on the exhibition captures a specific location, has a history of its creation. G. Markutis’s cycle of paintings aims to briefly stop the time, listen to the details, understand the relationship between nature and architecture, the newly discovered and perceived beauty of the castles and churches. G. Markutis’s exhibition – expressive, provocative and inviting his audience for a conversation from time to time. Frequent work reveals the colorful decorative, colorful expression, symbolic speech in shape and color.
Painting work ” Confluence near Kaunas Castle” is an artistic expression in the symbolism of river crossings and roads. It is like an abstracted path to Kaunas Castle, which symbolically evolves the chosen yellow color and enriches with fragments of the landscape and contrasting blue fragments. From the perspective of the landscape, there is a transition to a deeper metaphysical reflection on the way of life and the choices it presents. This is the combination of abstraction and concreteness. In the works of G. Markutis the main accent becomes the object of his choice. Extremely high attention is paid to details, their whole, while the background, the side elements are like a blur, get an abstract shape, become the main context of the theme.
The work “Kaunas Castle” was created in 2012. The painter portrays the complex of Kaunas Castle, highlighting the most important details. And nature, the landscape in this work is presented in pastel colors, stylized, helps to highlight the majesty of the castle, its architectural ornamentation. To G. Markutis – the perception of space and the harmony of abstract elements in space is important.
All works by Gitas Markutis are marked by a distinctive stylistics of Kaunas and its surroundings. Architecture and landscape in the artist’s work creates a special coherence, and for its representation the author selects sensitive stylistics, in which the artist presents the essential and contextual moments. The work of the author admires originality, subtle interpretation of landscapes and urban landscapes. Frequent painting work combines the philosophy of the author himself, his deeper reflections on the world and the environment, and the presence of a person in that environment, symbolizes the importance of the stopped moment in the work.Markutis’s paintings are interesting both in historical and artistic terms. The works exhibited at the exhibition preserve the thematic integrity, and thus also expressive diversity. The work of the artist creates a special narrative about the native environment, nudges the fragments of this environment and blinds human observation and silent presence in it.
Gabrielė Kuizinaitė
Paintings by painter Gitas Markutis
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE SYNERGY OF ART AND MUSIC IN THE PAINTINGS
OF PAINTER ERIKA PETUNOVIENĖ (AYTĖ)
To painter Erika Petunovienė (Aytė) this year is special in the creative work. A recent personal exhibition “Musical Colors” was featured in the Music Gallery. Another personal exhibition “IMPRESS & EXPRESS” is available until December at Carolina’s Hotel, in Vilnius. The artist also collaborates with several galleries in Lithuania and has received considerable recognition with group exhibitions, duo’s exhibitions, and the delivery of his works abroad: in Australia, Austria, Germany. Erika Petunovienė holds a Master’s Degree in Art and Technology. The artist is an abstract designer whose paintings are distinguished by contemporary art, expressiveness, bright colors and unexpected combination of colors and emotions.
In recent years, the artist’s creative work has played a very important role in music: by re-discovering classical music (K. Debussy, F. Chopin, M. K. Čiurlionis, etc.), she created a cycle of paintings, most inspired by works of magnificent musical beauty – nocturne. The latter are inspired by a number of Impressionists. Musical sounds and impressions, sensuality, freedom, mystery, mood change from silent, soft sounds to famous, spicy spells spilled into the colors of the colors and stories in canvas. Also, Erika Petunovienė is very close, meaningful and characteristic in painting, sensuality and expression of dreams, which grows stronger when listening to classical music. Often creativity and music are associated with the transfer of feelings, which is also characteristic of F. Chopin, he speaks music directly to feelings, to the subconscious of man, but also to dreams, according to K. Debussy, the creator lives in the world of his dreams. Several paintings have been created at dawn, with only hands, fingers, music rhythm and the flow. According to the artist’s creative process, each musical sound corresponds to a certain color and brightness, the pace of music, the plastic expression, where the lines interpenetrate each other, overlap, reveal the transparency, mystery veil, dynamics and surface to the tangible work. At the opening of the exhibition, the author said, “I combined the music into one of my creations, my music and my own music, as if I were myself, was a special feeling and a creative process that took time to prepare and work”. The painter has dedicated two works to M. K. Čiurlionis’s work and personality: “Piano” and “Fairy-tale”. Often, the colors of M. K. Čiurlionis’ paintings enrich the sound of music, while music is a form of painting. The exhibition “Color Music” was an opportunity for viewers to get acquainted with the synergy of live music and art.
When did the art journey start, when did you get interested in painting?
I draw from my childhood, although most children draw, but drawing was always the first place, followed by games, friends and other childhood joys. Often, with my godmother, I was attending exhibitions, opera and ballet theater, performances. I attended high art class in high school, I was like a white crow for drawing abstractions, all paint princesses or flowers, but I abstractly. I was very lucky to have a wonderful teacher, who is not only an artist but also a teacher of life, painter Albertas Satkus. He always supported and encouraged me to create the way I feel, regardless of standards and how others draw it. My works were always selected for exhibitions and competitions. Later I studied at VPU, I graduated from the Department of Arts and Technology. I felt the need to create my whole life, this is an integral part of my life and is very important and necessary for myself. True, after studying for some time, I enjoyed the freedom to create what I want, and not something that is mandatory but perhaps too deep-rooted. I created, I created, but I always felt an inner contradiction: whether to create how I feel or how it works, in accordance with the rules. All this resulted in a break in the work, deep and distantly hid the paint and hide for 7 years. I thought I would never go back to the work that I forgot. I read a lot of these years, tried various activities, I was looking for something that calmed down and filled my soul, I learned a lot, but I did not find it. One day, I got an order to painted the picture, I took a long time, but I met. After that, it was a break again, and some day I wanted to paint something, for my own sake I looked at painting as meditation. I’ve been experimenting, playing, and creating. Until I felt filled my soul with joy, peace and fullness. Understand what I’m looking for is what I refused. Now I’m on my way, I want to share my creativity with people for joy, love, good energy. My paintings are located not only in the interiors of modern houses, but also in offices, homesteads in Lithuania and abroad, but most importantly, they find a place in the heart and mind of people. I am glad that most people feel the feelings of the paintings, warmth, radiating good mood, and this is my goal – to inspire love for life.
How was the idea of combining painting with music?
A difficult question. I can not say exactly when the idea came from, because it went naturally, without special planning and not music. My family has a lot of musicians, grandfather – singing opera, grandmother singing and playing accordion, godmother – playing piano, she is a music teacher, I was always surrounded by music and songs. Another remarkable reminder of the kindergarten, I had a wonderful music teacher, we were listening to M. K. Čiurlionis, we performed tasks, we watched his work, then I loved him. But I understood their influence later on when the idea of holding this exhibition was born.
I often listen to different types of music by painting, choosing to respond to my inner state, the emotion chosen to paint the theme. I re-discovered classical music, I especially loved the Nocturne genre (K. Debussy, F. Chopin, M. K. Čiurlionis), I often listened to the writing of this music. It acts so hard for me and it thrills, listening as if the wave overflows the entire body, and shakes it to the soul, it also overlooks the thoughts and movements. This was the birth of the thought merging with music, painting in the twilight only with hands and fingers, with full dedication to the flow of music. In this practice, I have painted some paintings, this is an exciting experience and emotions. It seems as if I was not me, but through me there was music, I got the music itself in canvas. I have not always become only music themes, but have accumulated a number of “musical” paintings over time. I dreamed of organizing an exhibition that would live the classical music live while the guests were watching the paintings at that time. When listening to musical works through which paintings have been created, miracles take place: the paintings unfold and blossom, they come to life, they begin to tell the story. The universe heard me, and it quickly became possible to implement it. At the opening of the “Color Music” exhibition, the Music Gallery featured live flute music, violin, piano, and Clair de Lune, dear beloved by K. Debussy. As I said during the opening, “art and music synergy is a perfect, powerful and magical phenomenon.”
The list of paintings by painter Erika Petunovienė is a long but favorite Vincent Van Gogh, H. Matisse, C. Monet, M.K. Čiurlionis The artist does not shy in bright colors in her work. In an abstract painting, the artist conveys forms, rhythms, spatial relationships. Her works make color the most important means of expression. The purpose of her creative project is to convey the sound and the rhythm of colors, to put music in canvas. Tapytoja E. Petunovienė (Aytė) often experiments with techniques in her work: handwritten paintings, other textures using paint and different materials: ink, acrylic, oil paints, markers, goldsmiths, chalks, gouache. The paintings by painter Erika Petunovienė are especially poetic and begin to tell the story immediately: “The Garden of Mysteries” (90×90), “He and She: Day and Night” (60x90x2), “The Man and His Dog Taking the Moon” (120×90) , “New Beginning” (120×90), “Morning Dew” (100x80cm.), “Comet Rain” (110×80), “Twilight Sunset” (100x70cm), “Following the Sun” (90×80), etc.
Musicality, silence, sound, space, light united in paintings by E. Petunovienė. During the project, the author wanted to show the relationship between painting and music and vice versa. The subtle colors of the painter’s paint cover each other, dissolving abstracted motifs that are important in the color and form of the language. In the author’s work, we notice that signs and symbols, characters are important, as well as in the content of geometric form. The pictures carry a hidden message and an invitation to relax (flimsy, flexible, flowing lines), to enjoy and love the world and each other (hidden symbols, motifs). The painter’s work is unique and unexpected.
According to the exhibition’s curator G. Oržikauskas, Erika Petunovienė’s the most influential art fields of art are Impressionism and Expressionism. The features of Impressionism are manifested in the fact that the artist solves the same task – the color relationship and their coherence. Adaptation of the tint so that each color maximizes its potential in relation to the other. The author does not seek to convey the reality of the world, it seeks to show the world that only she sees. The cues of the author’s favorite artist, V. van Gogh, of vibrating spirals can be seen in her paintings, but her ideas can also be matched with H. Matisse, who sought to portray what is basically positive and what inspires. The artist cherishes the uncensored color of the bright colors and creates an intense colorful reality. An interesting aspect is that the legacy received by the artist from impressionists and expressionists is translated into the language of abstract art. The paintings of the author convey the reflection of her inner world, which is personal, but not individual. To see abstract art, each of which is a peculiar self-portrait, is really rare.
The “Color Music” exhibition is dedicated to music. The paintings by Erika Petunovienė provide a truly unique opportunity to see not how music is written, but as a person hears music, i.e. how music seems to be transmitted through its inner world. Some of the paintings were born at a certain ritual – in the dark when listening to music, almost without seeing any paint and painting by hands. Such emotional cavity is a rare trait and is a truly emotional and creative personality.
Art critic Gabrielė Kuizinaitė
Fragment’s from Erika Petunovienė Aytė exhibition:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Painter Rūta Levulienė’s personal painting exhibition “Stages”
From November 22, the painting exhibition “Stages” by painter Rūta Levulienė will be in the exhibition and concert hall of the Jurbarkas Regional Museum. Tapytoja R. Levulienė holds personal exhibitions and is actively involved in group exhibitions and plein-airs from 2014. Famous teachers such as painter Antanas Obcarskas, Violeta Juodzevičienė and the artist Lukas Kalmogercovas influenced the work of the artist. Since the year 2018, the painter R. Levulienė studies at Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, Kaunas Faculty, a painting specialty. Painting artist Rūta Levulienė presents a personal painting exhibition “Stages” consisting of two parts from the early and middle stages at Jurbarkas Regional Museum. The first works of R. Levulienė are distinguished by informative content – it is like a message that the author wishes to convey to the viewer. Her work in colorful and emotional-abstract paintings is important for the artist to convey emotions, feelings and perceptions. Also, the painting process is important for the artist, when the geometrically different form of rhythm is unevenly incorporated into the picture space. In this way R. Levulienė broadcasts a story transmitted by the colors from the picture. In the early works of R. Levulienė, not only a symbol but also a metaphorical language is important. The author’s paintings are not solid, they consist of several styles, themes and different scenes. One group of paintings is dominated by abstract painting landscapes, in other decorative and abstract images that are composed of different themes. The artistic narrative of each painting is enhanced by a bright red color, as well as blue, green, yellow and other colors in almost every single painting. The work of the author is unique in his own story, in the form and line of rhythm, in neutrality. At the exhibition, R. Levulienė presents the following early paintings: “Oblivion”, “Broadcast”, “Overload”, “Improvisation of the Still Life”, “Birthday”, “Whim” and others. In another part of the exhibition, painter R. Levulienė presents the middle period of his creative work – the green stage. The author is often looking for inspiration in nature, so the exhibition presents a cycle of landscapes and new paintings: “This Day”, “Four Powers”, “Game”, “Landscape”, “Last Winter Day” and “Expectation”. From the very beginning of his creative career, the painter R. Levulienė turned to abstract painting. R. Levulienė is looking for inspiration in the latest cycle of inspiration in nature, the motif of the detail of the plant’s landscape, its fragment, becomes the basis of improvisation in the works of artists. In the newest cycle of paintings, paints are of paramount importance for the transition of adjacent to each other, the nuance of colors and shades, the continuity of abstract forms. All this creates mood swings and emotional aspects of natural reflection. The latest author’s painting cycle is dominated by green, yellow, brown, blue, red, and their parallels. R. Levulienė’s cycle of landscapes is dominated by extremely expressive, but at the same time united, and harmonious stylistics of paintings. All these paintings presented at the exhibition are united by the intriguing and at the same time poetic, philosophical names of paintings, the play of similar and, at the same time, different colors. The organizers of the exhibition are Public Enterprise “Gabrielė’s Art Gallery“ and “Jurbarkas Regional Museum“. The exhibition will be open until December 15.
Art critic Gabrielė Kuizinaitė
Fragment’s from painter Rūta Levulienė exhibition: