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Pjotrs Hudobčonoks “Daugavpils at the Beginning of the 20th Century”

Pjotrs Hudobčonoks “Daugavpils at the Beginning of the 20th Century” Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, Intro Hall November 16 – December 16, 2013   Works by Pjotrs Hudobčonoks have been displayed at exhibitions in many countries: Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Germany, France, Portugal, The USA and others, having had there great success. P. Hudobčonoks’ creative work is a remarkable example of the synthesis of old traditions, new content and new technique. One of the sources he draws on in his creative work is the traditional Russian “lubok” (a simplified kind of traditional Russian folk art) with its own marked plot, humor, specific imagery and syncretic character, where picture is combined with text. A further development of traditions and author’s ways of expression is manifested in his sculptural-plot-based compositions. These compositions are sculpture and painting simultaneously, they are a solution to a complicated task of depicting a full volume in a narrow environment. The volume is created by employing both plastic and pictorial means. The artist uses the complicated kaolin-based composite material.

Edward Pustovoitov „DREAMS. CONTINUATION”

    There is no use to look for the plot in my paintings. There is no plot. There are images emerged from my world view and emotional experience. The paintings are the ones who create me, not me creating them.  E. Pustovoitov   Edward Pustovoitov was born in 1964 in Makeyevka, Ukraine. He gained the Designer’s qualification at Odessa Institute of theatrical and artistic studies. Irresistible desire of travelling once led Pustovoitov to come to Latvia and to join the Riga nautical college; after graduating he worked as a sailor at Latvian Shipping. In 1993, being a resident of Riga, the young sailor Eduard, as he is telling, accidentally arrived to the Netherlands and visited Amsterdam Museum of Contemporary Art, where he for the first time got acquainted with the world-famous, scandalous Spanish surrealist Dali , more precisely - with his works.

Juris Utāns – “Flai – Letalka – Fly”

The title of the exhibition of works by painter Juris Utāns – “Flai – Letalka – Fly” conveys a message at several levels. First of all, the title is a pun – a play on English-Russian words in a Latvian vernacular, which in the globalization era are used in the manner of international communication and are dedicated to Utāns’ favourite image – a fly, which is a permanent “lyrical hero” of his works. Second, the title has a symbolic content, as the author considers that: “…we all are able to fly, the essence is the same, only our souls and minds are limited and suspicious”. Third, the intonation of the title precisely reflects Juris Utāns’ philosophy of life perception – to tease the society with a flippant intonation, which does not lay any responsibility.

SOLOMON GERSHOV

  Three towns – Daugavpils, Vitebsk and Leningrad – have been especially important in Solomon Gershov's life. He was born in 1906, Daugavpils (then Dvinsk) and spent there the first four years of his life. In Vitebsk, he spent his childhood and much of his youth. He started drawing early. For five-six years he studied with Y.Pen and received also a good academic education. He had worked together with K.Malevich and his pupils, however their ideas of suprematism and “approval of new art” did not appeal to him. But he willingly went to do sketches together with M.Chagall, admired his works, his artistic freedom and always remembered (later also followed) a simple piece of advice: “Don't look at others, do your own!”

SILVA LINARTE “REFLECTIONS”

  SILVA LINARTE "REFLECTIONS"   A person is able to overcome even almost insuperable obstacles and find a new sense of life. (S. Linarte) Silva Veronika Linarte has always looked to the strength of family, Latgalian (southwestern Latvia) warmth and spiritual environment that her parents had created. She was born in a family of teachers on February 26, 1939, near Daugavpils. In 1941, the two-year-old girl and her family were deported to the Krasnoyarska district of Siberia. Silva returned to Latvia in 1957. She began to participate in art exhibitions in 1965, became a well-known artist, a talented teacher and a loving mother.

CENTER COLLECTION “GOLD”

From 24th April till 31st July 2013, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Center variable exhibition sector (B). Center collection "GOLD".

PETER GRIFFIN “SEALED WITH FIRE”

Peter Griffin "SEALED WITH FIRE" is a collection consisting of 12 silkscreen workseries. Exhibition was opened till 31st July 2013.

DILWIN SMITH “THE WINDOWS”

DILWIN SMITH "THE WINDOWS" The latest works by Dillwyn Smith show his growing interest in organized spatial relationships between color and form. Continuing the tradition of geometric abstractionism, his works hold a dialogue with color fields of Barnett Newman, Ellsworth Kelly, Mark Rothko and Blinky Palermo. Recently, the artist has given preference to textile works instead of his traditional painting technique. His textile works emerge from impressions travels have left on him. The idea about the project “The windows” evolved when Dillwyn participated in the plein-air “Mark Rothko 2012”. The impressions made by the local landscape and the traditional life style, motifs that had captured his imagination – all that has become the material for artistic images. Quite often, the impressions obtained from reality are given unexpected interpretations, showing well-known things in a new perspective.