Antanas Andrijauskas

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Academician  of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

President of Lithuanian Aesthetics' Association

Head of the Department of Comparative Culture Studies of Lithuanian Culture Institute

Professor of Vilnius University

Professor of Vilnius Art Academy

Professor, habil. dr. (Philosophy)

 

Work address:                                                                                                                         

Saltoniškių 58, LT-08001, Vilnius                                                                                         

tel.: (8-5) 275 59 12                                                                                                        

fax:  (8-5)  275 18 98

e-mail:    aandrijauskas@gmail.com                                                                              

 

                                                                              Vilnius,

                                                                                            2017.09.29

 

 

PICTORIAL MEDITATIONS OF ANTANAS SAVICKIS (TONY VIBER)

 

 

Antanas Savickis (b.1984) is an original and self-reflexive representative of Lithuanian intellectual painting, the type of artist that is characteristic to the world of postmodern culture. For him, changes of cultural environment, being ‘on the road‘ is a natural way of existence, that provides new rich emotional experiences and creative impulses. Along the life and creativity paths of this painter of Lithuanian origin, his hometown Siauliai is periodically changed by Nicosia, London, Moscow, and today – Dubai.

On other note, Savickis’ artistry is closely associated with a particular philosophical worldview and bursts with chaotic creative energy that is conveyed in colourful paintings. Doctoral study of hermeneutics at Moscow Lomonosov university have undoubtedly influenced his painting, helped to comprehend the inexhaustible opportunities that artistic interpretation of the reality presents the painter with and is unfolded in painting. With his restless nature, disregard of various external forms of regulation, submersion into the present moment experiences, the painter is akin to painters of introvert direction, roaming in the voids of the dream world. I am an introvert - he admits – I‘ve always wanted to change this world, to make it a better place for human life; at the beginning I sought to do that by delving into studying hermeneutics, but eventually philosophy revealed itself to be too dogmatic, forced into strict frames and rules. I finally found space for desired self-realization in painting, which afforded me with the opportunity to express my thoughts and feelings more freely, did not require precision, merely having a sense for colours and shapes was enough to open the possibilities of new idea expressivity.

As we analyse the origins of Savickis’ painting, from the subconsciousness we firstly draw out manifestations of fauvism, lyrical abstraction, abstract expressionism, tashisme, gestural painting and even grafitti painting. The following corrifaei of modernist and postmodernist painting can be named among his inspirations - Matisse, Dubuffet, Ma­thieu, Pollack, Rot­hko, De Kooning, Cy Twombly, Gorky,  Kline, Basquiat.

His works, produced in 2012–2013, such as ‘The End of World’ (2012), ‘Sexuality’ (2013), ‘Tongue shower’ (2013), ‘Dirty woman’ (2013) are important for the becoming of his unique style and entrenchment of new forms of artistic expression. On other note, these paintings, associated with the search of one’s individual path, show obvious growth of Savickis’ plastic culture and increasing distance from prevalent traditional concept of beauty. I think that in the twenty-first century the concept of beauty becomes extremely relative, - the painter explains his aesthetic position, - here, not only the form of expression is important, but the possibility of emotionally affecting the viewer, which continues to become increasingly harder in these times of visual information overflow.

Absorbing various manifestations of modernist and postmodernist art within himself, Savickis, in the last five years, alongside other works, has given significant attention to creation of his main cycle entitled ‘Souls‘. For this cycle he painted nearly fifty paintings, widely varying in their chromatic decisions that become certain expressions of the artist‘s inner state. On other note, the artist clearly comprehends that abstract form in itself is an expression of inner meaning, thus, by painting abstract metaphorical and symbolic shapes, he firstly accentuates their inner connection to musical chromatic and palette decisions. From here flows the meditational nature of Savickis’ artistry, requires the apprehender of the painting to concentrate on the essence of pictured phenomena.

 

                                                                      Acad. Antanas Andrijauskas