REPORT FROM ŽAGARĖ PLEIN-AIR 3
In brief: The author and artist Vaida Tamoševičiūtė shares her impressions from a plein-air organised in Žagarė, which has left a big impression on the participants. Žagarė met them by wonderful nature, creepy decaying old architecture, black-eyed gypsy girls, the moon on earth and crazy rapes.
The artists were welcomed by the celebrity of the town Edmundas-Musė known for his house decorated by pots and settled in a restored mill for the first day. On the second day the artists changed their home to conveniences of the manor with the help of Žagarė Regional Park Directorate.
The head of the plein-air (and also organiser of plein-airs Žagarė 01 and 02) was the painter Židrija Janušaitė, other participants were the graphic Tadas Šimkus, sculptor Andrius Knystautas, painter Laurynas Leonaitis, sculptor, graphic artist Vijolė Lukoševičiūtė and the author herself, painter Vaida Tamoševičiūtė. The plein-air Žagarė 03 was organised at the effort of Židrija, Musė and Žagarė Regional Part Directorate.
The eyes of people were mostly attracted by the mermaid Vijolė, who decided to hang a constellation in an artificial waterfall. As a result, about 30 mirrors started shining like stars in the waterfall. Židrija has been creating a series of mysterious paths for several years already. Therefore, a narrow path of leaves hidden in shadows of the park was created in Žagarė too.
The author herself was charmed by Žagarė’s nature, colours and smells of fields, a sand quarry that reminded of a moon – the surroundings reflected in her painting.
Meanwhile, the graphic Tadas decided to change his profession in this plein-air and to become a sculptor: he enriched Žagarė by three new works: “Stone Weeder”, “Strong Will 1” and “Strong Will 2”. Andrius worked with stone from morning to night and the sculpture “Obedience-Convenience” of almost human shape was born. Laurynas worked hard with carbon in his workshop in the furthest corner of the mansion – the result of his effort was a shot from a wooden self-made cannon. Although the cannon lacked power and the stone ball did not fly, the impression was still strong and served as a wonderful final accord of the plein-air.
The idea to organise such plein-airs belongs to Židrija – she decided to organise such an event while studying at the Art Institute, when students of different specialties worked in closed auditoriums and did not see colleagues’ works. Therefore, the artist encouraged artists to open up, to take interest in others, to communicate and perhaps even try different fields of art.