November

www.kamane.lt, 2007 11 29

Edmundas Saladžius
Professor of Vilnius Academy of Arts, Kaunas Art Institute, Head of the Department of Graphics

In brief: We live in a complicated period when art as expression and way of thinking is pushed out to the outskirts of life. The situation has been determined by economic factors, financial groups and their indifference towards art. Being a graphic, the author may not disassociate from public and political phenomena taking place in the society. The graphic is primarily interested in principles of visual arts modelling.

Talking about graphics, it has phenomenal peculiarities – it may react to actual phenomena dynamically, according to the author. Due to several copies, graphics is more accessible to viewers. It has always been the witness of various problems of humanity, e.g., the series of Francisco Goya’s carvings “Capricos” or “Dreadfulness of War”. History consumes political activists, events, breakdowns, and art remains the chronicler of its time.

Art may become an open tool of propaganda, as we have experienced in the Soviet times. Meanwhile, today we confront different problems. Lithuanian artists are inclined to distance from life and to turn to the hedonistic world. Moreover, art is not an element of game, it is ecology of spirit. We have to use the possibilities perfected through thousands of years and to embody our thoughts using adequate means of expression. Still, the number of lazy artists is growing, and art is turning into good.

The graphic also emphasises that artists should be open to new methods of expression. New ways become actual when creative and clever people manage them. For instance, Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonai presented positive ideas that are dear to our country in the biennial of Venice. Students who are only polishing their creative experience in the form of meaningful performance or theatrical event are evaluated well.

Speaking about the youngest generation children, the graphic stresses that we should remember to raise a conscious citizen from the early days. One of the fields with the help of which children may be raised is the graphics of books. However, educational graphics of books does not exist in Lithuania. The present supply of the field may be described as crippling of children. Walt Disney was a wonderful drawer but his drawings are strange to us, it is chemical culture.

Working at Kaunas Art Faculty, the teachers are striving to cherish a unanimous look towards art. The majority of lecturers support this position. The potential of lecturers is not the same, but all of them are trying to maintain the idealist outlook, to cherish positive and tested values basing them on logic arguments.

Of course, there are problems which depend on the poor work results of responsible structures, the Ministry of Education, for instance. The graphic wonders at the politics of our country – it seems that the economic and cultural development live separate lives, there is no harmonious relation between civilisation and culture.

It is evident that solid support of culture should become the priority of the state politics. It is a huge investment which will bring dividends in future. It is time to stop believing in the legend about an impoverished artist. A talented person is enthusiastic about work in the art field when he/she sees perspectives in it, ends the graphic.

Prepared by Kotryna Džilavjanaitė