EXHIBITION “GAMBIT” BY VIKTORAS PAUKSTELIS

Personal exhibition “Gambit” by Viktoras Paukstelis, curator – dr. Raminta Jurenaite, is on display at Klaipeda Culture Communication Centre (KCCC) Exhibition Hall (Didzioji Vandens g. 2, Klaipeda) from Friday, 2 April 2021, 16:00.

Painter Viktoras Paukstelis gave the title of one of the newest paintings created this year to his solo exhibition in Klaipeda. Gambit (French gambit < Italian dare il gambetto – to trip somebody up), according to the Dictionary of International Words, is the beginning of a game of chess (or checkers) in which a figure or a pawn is sacrificed in order to attack more quickly.

Viktoras Paukstelis „Gambit“,
2021 , oil on canvas, 185×145 cm

In the exhibition “Gambit”, the author exhibits both older and the latest paintings and drawings. While presenting the exhibition, the curator of the exhibition, art critic and doctor of humanities Raminta Jurenaite, emphasizes one of the most important connections of the works of V. Paukstelis – a trace of art history.

“Painter Viktoras Paukstelis “borrows” iconographic symbols, allegories and other motifs from the paintings of old and modern masters in his canvases. The artist-erudite also finds inspiration in scientific, biographical or literary texts”, says Dr. R. Jurenaite.

A Labyrinth Repeating Fragments of One Story

By choosing paintings from art history, V. Paukstelis appeals to the collective memory. First of all, the versatility of the images of the old masters is important to him. The past in the works of V. Paukstelis is connected with the events of today. The painter provides contemporary commentaries on the tasks posed by the masters of classics.

Viktoras Paukstelis „Untitled“, 2020,
oil on canvas, 30×35 cm

V. Paukstelis paints not the very paintings that are important for the history of art, but their trace in cultural memory. He takes over only individual compositional motifs from classic masterpieces. The painter moves such a fragment into an empty space or combines it with other fictitious images. The viewer, who has experienced a sense of déjà vu, is involved in the recognition of the works interpreted by Paukstelis. This is not always an easy process. Only sometimes does the painter lend a hand with a reference to the source in the title of his painting.

There is no place for coincidence in the thoughtful compositions of V. Paukstelis. The wilderness of the fields or the panoramas of the seascape, as well as an empty background, play the role of theatrical backdrops here. Groups of people or animals, as well as their individual figures, are arranged in the first composition plan as if on a stage. By obeying the mysterious choreography, the creatures pause for a moment or freeze in eternal sleep. In this way, every action, gesture and object is given a ceremonial solemnity. This impression is further enhanced by the historical costumes and accessories of the characters.

Viktoras Paukštelis „Shell II“,
2020, oil on canvas, 176×147 cm

Throughout his creative periods, V. Paukstelis paints birds. According to the painter, this is how he ironizes self-portrait and self-reflection through the play of words with his surname (English Little Bird). The outer and inner worlds intertwine in the images of birds. According to the artist, “birds have that power in them – fragility and lightness. And yet the flight that we cannot equate with.” In his early works, the artist used to expressively paint birds at moments when they briefly land between flights. In recent years, the theme of birds has been revealed in his works in a completely different form. The dashing and live birds were replaced by carefully prepared stuffed birds. By painting dead birds, the artist touches on the theme of death, here, as in a number of other works.

In recent months, the paintings painted during the prolonged quarantine isolation reveal contradictory moods of the creator. The painter persuasively returns to his favourite “painting about painting”. Based on the motif of the painting by Eduardo Mane, he has painted the diptych “Sleeping Matador”, which surpasses all previous works of V. Paukstelis on the subject of the fragility of existence by the power of pain and expression. At the same time, he has revealed a sense of melancholy humour and even sharp irony by painting a set of paintings with disturbances.

Viktoras Paukstelis „Sleeping matador“, 2020,
oil on canvas, 130×164 cm

Extremely different in sizes canvases – from monumental to miniature – are grouped together in the exhibitions of the painter, creating connections among them. The arrangement of paintings in space and on the walls is an integral part of his artistic expression. Exposition is the result of reflection and intuition, much like a chess composition. In Klaipeda, as well as in previous exhibitions of V. Paukstelis, a linear narrative with an exposition, climax and resolution is not created. While going from hall to hall, the observer enters a beautiful but deceptive maze that echoes fragments of one story.

Dr. Raminta Jurenaite

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About the Author

Viktoras Paukstelis (born in 1983). Obtained a bachelor’s degree in painting at the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2018. Master’s degree in painting – in 2020. From 2009 to 2012 resided at the residence of artists in Paris (Cité Internationale des Arts de Paris). Received the Award of the Vilnius Rotary Club in 2017; VAA Justinas Vienozinskis Prize in 2016. Currently lives and works in Vilnius.

He has been actively participating in exhibitions since 2011, has organized eight solo exhibitions, and participated in group exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. His works have been acquired by the MO Museum (LT) and private Lithuanian and foreign collectors.

The exhibition will run until 2 May 2021.

KCCC Exhibition Hall (Didzioji Vandens g. 2, Klaipeda) working hours: Wednesday – Sunday 11:00–19:00. (closed on public holidays).

Due to the quarantine restrictions, it is necessary for the visitors of the KCCC Exhibition Hall to comply with certain requirements: to purchase tickets only online at tiketa.lt or by paying by a bankcard at the cash desk of the Exhibition Hall. Persons over the age of 6 must wear mouth and nose protection equipment and disinfect their hands. A distance of 2 meters must be observed in the exhibition halls. Visitors are admitted in groups of no more than two people (this restriction does not apply to families).

Oficial webpage of Viktoras Paukstelis – victorpaukstelis.com

Viktoras Paukstelis „Untitled“, 2020,
oil on canvas, 17×20 cm