Exhibition of paintings by Anatolii Baratinsky "In the footsteps of impressions"
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According to art researcher Violeta Jocienė, his paintings are like windows or small tapestries. The well-known Israeli artist Anatolijus Baratinskis, who has been participating in open-air exhibitions and exhibitions in our country for several years, this time presents a series of works that convey his impressions of Lithuania and which were created especially for the "Aukso pjūvio" gallery in Kaunas in 2023.
The author looks at our land as if through exploratory "windows" of the canvases: large and small, open and closed, inviting us to penetrate the depth of the image or turning us into the "viewed" - when we are not watching, but as if we are detected by a gaze from There. And there, in the world of A. Baratinskis's works, mysterious fragments of the landscape, emerging contours of Lithuanian huts, colors characterizing different seasons or hints of the time of day are "woven". Traces of impressions, clearly having their beginnings in a felt relationship with Lithuanian areas or experienced situations, flowing from the historical and personal lakes of historical reflection, awakened by the lively, omnipresent forces of nature. The author likes to speak in hints and intuitions, introducing the dimension of time, using a rational framework for the formation of a plastic body, but at the same time covering it with a cloth of nostalgic emotions, not lacking self-examination tasks - it is no coincidence that M. Korolj, the author of texts about the artist, called him an alchemist.
As usual, the language of A. Baratinskis' paintings dedicated to Lithuania is multi-layered. Soft and sensitive, accommodating a wide emotional scale. Like fabrics woven from air, light and recognizable scents, protecting a mysterious glow, carrying a sense of sacredness. There is no shortage of tension either: the works contrast with strict rhythmicity, the framing of the composition and the slow and fragile, almost melting, spread of the content; combining clear structures with sensitive color transitions. The latter are particularly nuanced, but they are easily "read" by the Lithuanian eye - we are taught by our natural environment to listen to the poetry and music created by nature's fingers, the subtle stories of its spaces.
In a similar way, the artist probably sees our country as well - small and firmly built, repeatedly "framed" and injured by painful historical realities, but preserving a delicate sense of nature, deep feelings of fundamental forces and truths. They heal like clear spring water, enabling windows to turn into doors, inviting you on a journey. The sacralized tonality of the paintings, often rising to universals, is even more evident in the adjacent cycle of works: in it, A. Baratinskis reveals the color-architectural visions of Jerusalem. The glow and the great gift of Life, the many threads and layers of the world's experience manifest themselves gradually to the viewer and allow them to experience the approach towards the eternal Jerusalem.
About the author:
Anatoly Baratynskis in 1962 was born and grew up in Ufa (Russian Federation), 1988. graduated from Magnitogorsk Pedagogical Institute, Faculty of Fine Arts, 1991. emigrated to Israel. Since then, he has been actively involved in Israeli and international art life, significantly contributing to the development and dissemination of contemporary Israeli art. Organized dozens of personal exhibitions in Russia, Israel, Norway, Germany, Canada, USA, Italy, Slovenia, Lithuania; won many awards in international competitions and exhibitions.
The artist works in the fields of easel painting, watercolor, graphics and photography, and successfully develops the genres of both figurative and abstract art. He is constantly improving his original experimental techniques - combining painting, graphics and photographic prints. He thinks in his own way about the themes of time and eternity, delves into the harmonies and contradictions of color and form, he cares about the reflection of memory and history - art, science, nature - and, of course, the dynamic and lively exploration of human nature."
The painting exhibition of Anatolius Baratinskis "In the Traces of Impressions" will be open in Birštonas Kurhaus until September 10.
