A never-ending glow 1

Gediminas Jasinskas
www.kamane.lt, 2016-03-24

In brief: Although it has become increasingly difficult to believe in something absolutely sacred, to believe in your fellow man, a utopian world of joy, harmony and goodness, graphic artist Birutė Stančikaitė still believes in that and lives it. Artist's exhibition Light in the dark at the National Art Gallery is an incentive or rather a friendly invitation to discover that magical particle that eventually turns our days, months and years into Life.

The exhibition in short fragments introduces us to the turns of artist's creative life, various experiments that still retain the semantic integrity. In the earlier works, for example lithographs Glaring light I, II (1982) we notice graphic artist's attention to composition, internal and external structure of the work. In the works of subsequent years artist tries out the different graphic techniques, more and more often uses color, until she discovers a peculiar combination of painting and graphics, and is actively interested in the abstract expression.

It is especially interesting to observe how the artist introduces color into her works and eventually takes to oil painting. Birutė Stančikaitė's painting is a sort of drawing with color. Here, as in graphics, filigreed precision, tamed emotion and concentration is dominant. Colors are subtle, often pastel or earthly tones that do not create striking contrasts, only providing the works with additional depth.

Graphic artist's abstractions are light and lively forms, reminiscent of the ever changing natural order. Forms are different and contrasting, but the whole is balanced and calm. In my view, the artist's hand becomes free to the maximum, after she refuses a specific object and choses abstraction. Her compositions gain the unrestricted autonomy, as if they would be a part of some perfect process.

B. Stančikaitė's works are unique not only for their technical mastery, they are also filled with a feeling that is hard to define: it seems as if you can hear an almost sacred scratching of the quill to the soft surface of the paper; a steady breathing, drawing each minor line.

Probably, the most important source of inspiration for the artist is nature. Her works are filled with warm summer evening breeze, the tranquility of flowing river and secrets of the nightly sea.

The exhibition is on display at the National Art Gallery (Konstitucijos ave. 22, Vilnius) until 26 March.


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