VI th international Latgale Graphic Symposium
For the sixth time, visitors to the Rothko Centre can enjoy an international graphic show, which is the outcome of the annual International Latgale Graphic Symposium.
It has brought together artists from 10 different countries, each of them with a unique artistic hand and vision, offering to the audience the fruits of their labour, expressed in the language of graphic art.
Works created in the course of the symposium represent a broad spectrum of graphic techniques – from letterpress to intaglio, to flat printing.
For the second year, intaglio is the principal technique at the symposium. Although Claudia Fellmer from Switzerland mainly works as a graphic artist in digital media, in the course of the symposium she has created conceptual etchings combined with aquatint; in some compositions, the artist has even used Latvian potatoes. Nubia Landell-Valdivia, a Mexico-born artist who currently resides in Switzerland, has produced some striking works in her preferred intaglio technique. Remaining faithful to drypoint and aquatint, Anna-Christine Cälstrom has made a strong and bold claim among intaglio devotees. In a similar way, her compatriot, Hilda Lindström, has grazed zinc sheets to create conceptual etchings. Rasmus Dano from Denmark offers a powerful story in the minimalist tradition with his works in the woodcut technique. The message of Sorin Dan Cojocaru, representing Romania, is striking, expressive, slightly provocative and sarcastic. Yuri Shtapakov, a true monotype master from Russia, shows confidence and freedom in his style and virtuosity while Migle Pužaite from Lithuania offers vibrant letterpress experiments. Justīne Lūce and Ausma Šmite represent the new weave of Latvian graphic art. Justīne’s compositions are the results of her experimentation with intaglio and digital printing, a technique she discovered during her studies at the Venetian Academy of Fine Arts, whereas Ausma remains faithful to lithography.
The exhibition is open to the public at the Rothko centre until 5 November 2017.
