RAMŪNAS GRIKEVIČIUS
May 5, 2017 / May 31, 2017
Paintings
Answering the question, what is art for me, specifically painting, is the same as answering the question, what is the meaning of life. I have always had all kinds of motivations to paint or not to paint, all kinds of answers to: what is art, what is painting, what is good painting, what is professional art, what is craftsmanship. Is painting still influential, is it still alive, is it necessary in this age, etc.? And yet, the best answer I can come up with remains - not to think about it and if you can, continue to paint and enjoy small or large discoveries of your own.
Since my studies, when painting became an important part of my thinking, figurative painting took root. All the time it seemed and still seems that I can tell something to the viewer, without which there is little point in painting, I can only depict real objects, figures, and symbols, hidden or clearly visible meanings are best "encoded" by something real.
In my painting, I try to find common human pains. I don't specifically aim for it and I even try to avoid it, but I start each painting after digging into the history of my experiences. For a long time, I relied, as it seemed, on my instincts, which were gradually being suppressed by experience. The future has become very unknown, but this realization is liberating. I like to paint these current meanings while enjoying the painting process itself, to give importance to the drawing, the stroke, the shade. Each painting is a separate story, often very personal. I construct the compositions of my paintings from the symbols that dominate my reality, the events that have happened, the images I have seen, the ironic attitude towards my personal life, and the harmony of everyday life and relationships. All this takes on new multifaceted meanings in the canvases. - Ramūnas Grikevičius
