X YPP Book

Regarding
the
Limits
14
When I was a student, I wished to go beyond the limits. Beyond the traditional
painting, beyond the stereotypical thinking, beyond the country borders. I always
wanted to know and explore the world — both cultural and social — that was
somewhere out there, unreachable to us during the Soviet era, and difficult to
access even during the first years of Independence.
My current self is the result of my hard work that came as a response to my
desire to break outside the boundaries of Lithuania while I was still in my
formative years. I was driven by the need to compare my works with the works
of foreign artists, I wanted to develop, gain experience, make new contacts, and
‘cling to something.’ During my years of study and right after the graduation,
I was actively applying for residencies, exhibitions, competitions, and cultural
programs supervised by the then Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania.
Places like the United States of America, Japan, Scandinavia, Europe, the UAE,
and South Africa seemed hard to reach back then. But when I got to my first
residences, I realized that the world was near and that we were part of it.
My professional development has been influenced greatly by my first artist
residency in the Nordic Artist’s Center Dale, Norway (1998). Artist residencies
provide a great experience that allows you to position yourself as a creator,
interact with artists from other countries, and encounter the cultural differences.
In other words, artist residencies not only expand your horizons, but they are the
places to expand your contact list through discovering new friends and meeting
like-minded people. For example, the ARTOMI residency (New York, USA, 2004)
was rich with both creative challenges and inspired learning. I had a chance to
work with Mithu Sen, one of the most prominent Indian contemporary artists
with whom we still maintain a relationship.
In my early works I was reflecting on the influences of the traditional Lithuanian
painting. At that time, my painting was stood out slightly from the Lithuanian
painting school; however, there were signs of continuity as well. In my early
works I was rngonsthe traditional . I cannot speak highly enough of the
importance that the support of colleagues, friends and people of competence
has to an up-and-coming artist. For instance, I remember so vividly how Kostas
Dereškevičius described my painting as “almost the New Wild.” ;a I also
remember how the curator of ArtGENDA (1996), a Danish young artist biennale,
motivated me by saying that he could see Bazelitz in my works!
I especially inspired by the positive reactions of my peers and seniors. To me, my
tutor Adomas Jacovskis’ comment — “How much impudence one must have to
paint like that” — that he made in 1995 still remains one of the highest
appraisals of my work. Having positive imprudence and disregarding the
principles of ‘moral art’ is a good trait for an artist of any age.
I felt compelled to help the future generations of artists because of the
experiences I had myself. This is my acknowledgement to all those who stood by
me throughout my whole life, those who advised, encouraged and supported me.
By creating the Young Painter Prize platform we were aiming to help young
artists to enter the world of art and introduce them to the important and
necessary people who would stimulate, motivate and inspire them to reach for
their artistic heights.
Vilmantas Marcinkevičius
Painter
Initiator of the Young Painter Prize