Being there and here, or a trip to Bergen of Rimantas Plungė 0
In brief: “Life is a trip” – these are the most banal words by which the analysis of the new collection of works of the experimenting media artist Rimantas Plungė may be started. Still, the readers of the text are calmed down that the photographic trips of R.Plungė are far from sweet and photogenic. All that is captured in the film and printed on paper creates an impression of a strange and ephemeral dream.
The newest cycle of works “Motif of Bergen” creates the impression of a tempting dream. The collection was first presented at Panevėžys Photography Gallery (Vasario 16-osios St. 11, Panevėžys) on May 14 – June 1, 2014. Before analysing the works, the author notices that the artist creates experimental, collage photography, paintings, video art and installations, he teaches media art at Vytautas Magnus University, is the head of the Contemporary Arts Department of VMU Faculty of Arts and a doctor of social sciences.
The new collection of R.Plungė retains the solid conceptual direction of media art creation started earlier. On the one hand, the artist experiments in the field of media equipment and searches for new models of visual language. On another hand, the majority of his creative cycles explore the same theme of memory, identity of place and person.
The new collection of works of R.Plungė shows that to travel and see, be and experience means to dip into the collection of situations. The artist turns all he sees into signs of his individual language intentionally. The author combines several shots in one print. The combinations of images provokes thinking and interpretation of the phenomenon of eyesight.
Therefore, R.Plungė offers to move and stop, to be here (in own reality) and there (in exotic trip). The artist shows that photography is an alchemically functioning dérive instrument.
