November

Aušra Barzdukaitė-Vaitkūnienė
www.kamane.lt , 2007 11 03

“Process in Nature.” Canvas, oil, 135x195 cm, 2002.

Willows in Margionys. Motif

A painter’s life may seem rather dull from the outside, reminding the existence of a loner. I am speaking not about artists who love Bohemian life who attract attention by refined speeches during evenings or who interest the audience by piquant episodes from their lives. Perhaps this is the moment artistic effect created by them.

The road of Arūnas was different. His real life of an artist was internal, disguised from looks of people. The smallest movements of soul, the most subtle nuances initiated by the colours of external world, glimmering of light or vanishing forms of the passing world turned into mature painting works later.

Arūnas wrote in 1988: “I do not know when a person becomes a painter. Having learned how to draw, one does not turn into a painter necessarily. Perhaps being a painter is a position of life? Position in regard to a thing, phenomenon or situation. The most important is to find this position and to keep it. Art grants a possibility to deepen inside oneself, and I was attracted to it from my childhood. I was a closed person.”

The invisible internal movement like a light wind of soul leads the artist along the road of creation.

Arūnas was satisfied with one work painted in 2002 “Process in Nature”. Actually, he called the canvas “Grey Cardinal”. Evidently, he wanted to name that invisible power which is constantly changing and destroying everything that is born, lives and dies. The grey cardinal is always nearby, it is only the matter of time when the ruthless hand will touch our shoulder. Conducting processes of change, he constantly grants new forms to the process of becoming.

“Process in Nature” or “Grey Cardinal” was inspired by willows blown by the wind. Painting is similar to music here. These are vibrations, vibrations of colours, endless nuances and rhythm of grey colour. The rhythm of strokes spreading along the entire surface of canvas in fast movements, stopped by long passages of a painting brush, creates an impression of never-ending movement.

Being a master of monochrome painting, Arūnas has created an uninterrupted movement and change in this canvas, when one tone of colour turns into another due to the smallest touch. Vibrations of grey remind of the work by J.S.Bach “Well-tempered Claviers” 24 preludes and fugues, part II. The work of J.S.Bach of 1744 may be compared to a bible of polyphonic music. I would dare to compare the canvas of Arūnas “Process in Nature” the encyclopaedia of monochrome painting.

One has to listen to this painting by eyes, to catch the flow and let thoughts pass freely. One has to wonder the temporariness of the world with light sorrow regarding the inevitable.