| Australian
Latvian Artists Association annual exhibition
See
images of all the works ...
The Australian Latvian Artists Association (ALMA) annual
exhibition can be seen at the Sydney Latvian House exhibition
space from 11 September till 9 October, 2011. The exhibition
features 22 artists from Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane,
Perth and Sydney with 43 paintings and sculptures.
This year ALMA is presenting two awards. Sydney artists Dzidra
Mitchell received the $400 Jury prize
for the best work in any medium. The People's Prize,
worth $200, was won by Biruta Clark, based
on balots cast by exhibition viewers during the period of
the exhibition.
The works in the exhibition cover wide range of themes. Anita
Bērziņš-Misiņs has three works: “The Heart of the
Matter” is a pastel showing a larger than life cabbage which
exudes the bountifulness of nature; the oil painting “The
light was called, the light came”, with the reflected clouds
in the water and twisted tree branches reminds one of something
ancient and mystical, and her pastel “Entrance” suggests a
metaphor for the different worlds on both sides of the gateway.
Biruta Clark won the People's Prize
with her painting “The playful waters of Kiama”, which depicts
dynamic swirling sea waves, and her watercolour “Opulent Irises”
highlights the beauty of flowers. Perth artist Andris
Derums’ oil painting “The other bank”, with its yellow,
purple and redish tall river banks, reflects the grandness
of nature. Fiona Derums is a textile artist
from Melbourne and is exhibiting two postacrd sized works
featuring various shades of white raw silk and cotton and
a range of textures and shapes. The works are untitled but
during the exhibition opening the artists explained that the
two works are part of a series in which she is exploring the
strength of the triangular form. Also from Perth is Inta
Goddard, who is showing a vivid abstract titled “Studio
still life with window”, together with a sculputure in wood
featuring two towers which spiral towards each other but do
not meet.
Brisbane artist Elmar Klucis painting “The
Awakening” is a humorous fantasy, in which the theme is loosely
based on a combination of Henry Fuseli’s painting “Nightmare”
and the scene from Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream”
where the queen of the fairies is placed under a spell and
falls in love with a donkey. His “Ruined landscape” is an
environmental comment on things which were once beautiful.
Ieva Knochs “Nature’s Silence” presents a
greatly magnified shell in a decorative setting, as a symbol
of the magnificence of nature.
The painting “Summer past” by Andra Krūmiņš,
with it’s sparsely applied spots of paint form a hidden shape
of a rearing horse and brings to mind significant events from
the past. Andra Krūmiņš also features two small ink drawings
from a series that explores the personality of the Devil.
Astra Lācis’ “Spring” is a sensitively drawn
and painted pastoral scene showing a shepherd tending her
flock of geese, in which the pen strokes and subtle watercolour
pulses with life energy – from the shine in the geeses’ eyes
to the billowing clouds. Canberra artist Astrīda Mednis
has two woodcuts on the majesty of whales, and on show are
also two of Lidija Mednis paintings of her
beloved Snowy Mountains.
Dzidras Mitchell’s landscape “Lineage”,
with its cultivated rows sweepinga cross the hills reminds
one of anciently etched paths which are embedded deeply in
our collective lives. This work won the Jury award for best
work in the exhibition. In Mitchell’s other painting,
“Gethsemane”, the pink, purple and greenish tones evoke images
of mysteries presences.
Aina Nicmanis is showing a sensitive seaside
watercolour with a light touch and received commendation from
the Jury. Harijs Piekalns is another Canberra
artist and has exhibited two of his many-toned “ochre” abstracts,
in which one can imagine all the phases of the Australian
bush, from smooth yellow skinned eucalyptus tree trunks to
fire ravaged stumps. About his approach Piekalns writes: “I
am presently using ochres collected from the far south coast
of New South Wales, which I prepare for oil painting using
traditional techniques dating from the time of the Renaissance.
The paintings evolve as manifestations of the landscape from
which the ochres originate.”
Newcastle artist Egīls Rasmanis, has returned
to painting after many years and is exhibiting three oil paintings,
amongst which, “Valley Road, Katoomba” received a commendation
from the Jury. The painting shows a row of stately, pale,
smooth skinned eucalyptus trees which line the road like guardians
showing the way. Egīls wife Rhonwyn Rasmanis
has exhibited two oil paintings – “River scene” is a grand,
hazy landscape, and “Rīga Gate” conjures up thoughts of centuries
of life in that coastal city – together with a collection
of eight small watercolour impressions of travels in Latvia,
titled “Spoils of travel”.
Āris Ruicēns is a sculptor working in wood
and is showing two decorative bowls made by a combination
of turning and carving in highly textured Spotted Gum and
Port Jackson Fig timbers. The titles – “Ram Bowl” and “Mello
Cello” suggest the playfulness of the pieces. His third work
is a relief carving in mahogany of four decorative and brightly
coloured pheasants.
Raimonds Rumba has a large format abstract
panel almost two metres in height, titled “Gateway to Heaven”,
and Adelaide artist Ilze Strautiņš-Coombe
is exhibiting two decorative paintings with motifs drawn from
Edward Lear’s well known poem “The Owl and the Pussycat”.
Graphic artist Jānis Supe’s two large pen
and ink works have titles which offer a clue to their enigmatic
content. “Follow the signs” contains a large number of different
symbols, amongst them Latvian symbols imbued with cultural
and language traditions, which in their totality form a road
receding to the distance. And his “Mid-day in Venice”, with
its distorted water reflections of buildings hidden from view
by an elaborate arched bridge, suggest thoughts of that which
is not visible and which lies beyond the surface. Supe has
followed the Venetian tradition of concealing in the painting
a “memento mori” reminder of our mortality. This
work was highly commended by the Jury.
The last in this alphabetical list of artists is Liena
Sveilis-Waddingham, whose vivid green and purple
plants in “Illuminative”, and brightly coloured “Ginger Lily”
pulse with living energy. The author of this article also
took part in the exhibition with a charcoal drawing of a male
nude, titled “Remember the Sun”.
This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Lidija
Mednis, who passed away in August 2011. Lidija was
a long-serving member of the ALMA executive and ardent advocate
for art. The exhibition was opened on 11 September 2011 by
Dr Artis Medenis, who had a long standing friendship with
Lidija.
Many thanks to Harijs Piekalns for his expert
help in hanging the exhibition. And thanks also to the Jury
Committee - Jeannete Siebols, artist and
lecturer at the Australian Catholic University, and Rosemary
Vickers, former head of Printmaking at the College
of Fine Arts.
The final opportunity to see the exhibition will be on Sunday,
9 October 2011 during the concert by the Sydney Latvian Male
Choir. So, please come and look and vote for your favourite
work.
Ojārs Greste
ALMA secretary and exhibition organizer.
Download
the exhibition catalogue (Word document)...
See
images of all the works...
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Dzidra Mitchell with her painting "Lineage",
winner of the Jury prize for best work in
the exhibition. View
larger .
Overview: View
larger>>
Overview: View
larger >>
Overview: from left - Harijs Piekalns, Āris Ruicēns (sculpture),
Rhonwyn Rasmanis, Egīls Rasmanis: larger>>
Overview: from left - Inta Goddard, Biruta Clark's
painting "The playful waters of Kiama", winner
of the People's Prize, Anita Bērziņš-Misiņš, Inta
Goddard (sculpture): larger>>
Jānis Supe: "Mid-day in Venice". This work was
highly commended by the Jury. View
larger>>
Liena Sveilis-Waddingham, Ilze Strautiņš-Coombe. Larger>>
Aina Nicmanis: "Summer Landscape". Larger>>
Lidija Mednis: "Spencer’s Creek". Larger>>
The exhibition continues in the cafe. Larger>>
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