Eriks ApaJais: The essence circulates constantly

Transcription

1 Studija 78, 2011 Eriks ApaJais: Esence pastävigi cirkule ViJI)a Veja un mäkslinieka Erika ApaJä e-sarakste Eriks ApaJais: The essence circulates constantly E-correspondence between Vilnis Vejs and artist Eriks ApaJais Vilnis Vejs MAkslas krit1k1s, kurators I Art Cntic, Curator Enks Apalais kf:jt!oln. ~ ~.wn.... ~,,.".."."",.._. r.~~ollr..j~ r No attäluma liekas, ka Tavä dzive sobrid ir vieni vienigi prieki: ne sen absolveji Harnburgas Mäkslas akademiju, un tavs diplomdarbs tika novertets kä labäkais. "Rigas mäkslas telpa" Tevi izvirzijusi balvai ars viva 11/ 12, ko pies~r jauniem mäksliniekiem, kuru darbiba saistita ar Väciju. Sobrid gatavojies personälizstädei respektablajä Veras Munro galerijä. Kä Tu to sasniedzi? Un vai tiesäm viss tik sau laini - nedraud, piemeram, nogurums, panika, pasnävnieciskas domas? Diplomdarba esejä rakstiju par ieksejo laiku un telpas sajütu Tarkovska filmäs un Augustina darbä "AtziSanäs". Par to, kä Vil)i büve narativu, kä sugeste, poetizejot atmil)as uzplaiksnijumus metafiziskä limeni. Savos darbos meginu radit ieksejo atrnil)u procesu at spogujojumu. Tajä apzimetäji- atmil)as nozimes neseji- kä elementi cirkule pa vienkräsas laukumu un rada asociäcijas. Asociäcijas it kä atveras I aizveras, nozime ir atrodama to savstarpejä mijiedarbibä. Bistamiba, radot tädus attelus, slepjas apstäkli, ka iespejams viegli spekulet. Ar daziem rikiem rokä zonglejot un tos konstelejot, radit From a distance it seems that your life at present is one celebration after another: you recently graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Hamburg, with your diploma work being considered the best. Riga Art Space has nominated you for the ars viva 11/ 12 prize, awarded to young artists whose activities have links with Germany. Currently you're preparing forasolo exhibition at the respected Vera Munro Gallery. How did you achieve this? And is everything really so rosy - you're not being threatened by, for example, fatigue, panic or sui cidal thoughts? In the essay for my diploma work I wrote about the internal feeling oftime and space in Tarkovsky's filmsandin St. Augustine's work 'Con fessions', about the way they develop narrative, how they inspire, poeti cizing flickers ofmemory ata metaphysical level.ln my own work I try to create a reflection of internal memory processes. In it designators- the carriers of meaning in memory - circulate like elements about a single colour field and create associations. The associations as if open I close, and the meaning is tobe found in their mutual interaction. The danger; when creating such images, lies in the circumstances that it is possible to speculate all too easily; by juggling with the few tools at hand and re arranging them, to create deceptive traps in "readability". I am never theless interested in precision in this abstract, poetic circulation of elements. Speaking of practicallife here, I must admit that I'm very happy about recent events, as they give a sort of feeling of security or more belief. The correspondence with )änis J\votil;ts has been a great support, I don't want to hide that; fundamentally important issues have crystallized through this communication. With Vera Munro I've been in contact for a number years and she's been following what I'm doing, and now she's offered to work with me- this didn't occur spontaneously. I read your essay about St. Augustine and Tarkovsky, and enjoyed the claritywith wbich you've expressed your thoughts. Avoti!]S really is an excellent correspondent. An artist can be an essentialist, who considers that only one single particular way is "correct", and that is the way in which he is thinking at that time. Whereas a critic, ifwe use Rorty's division, has tobe more of an ironist, and however categorical, he has to admit that between every 'yes' and 'no' (about which, ofcourse, he musthave a position), there exists a certain zone of fluctuation in which no-one knows what's happening, andin art this is particularly relevant. Otherwise you may not notice what's happening. You write that recently you feel a little safer and more confident. Do you recall the time when you made the decision to re ject a fairly predictable way oflife and focused on art, although there was no guarantee of success? I've just returned home from Gerhard Richter's exhibition; it's been a lang and very interesting day. Richter is a painter I strongly relate to 48 s t udija 78111

2 Eriks Apa!ais. AtziSanäs. Audekls. e!!a. akrils I Conf('ssions. Otl and acrylic on canvas 1 00x200 cm Eriks Apa!ais. /'. Audekls, akrils, el!a 1 /'. Acrylic and oil on canvas 100x200 cm. 2011

3 Erilcs Apa)ais (. Audelds, aknls, elfa I Acrylic and oil on canvas 195x240 cm mänigus "nolasämibas" slazdus. Tomer mani interese p recizitäte sajä abstraktajä, poetiskajä elementu cirkuläcijä. Runäjot par praktisko dzivi seit, jätzistas, ka esmu Joti priecigs par pedejiem notikumiem, jo tas dod it kä drosibas sajütu vai vairäk ticibas. ~oti liels atbalsts, nevelos to slept, ir bijusi sarakste ar jäni Avotil)u. Tajä izkristalizejusies fundamentäli svarigi jautäjumi. Ar Veru Munro man ir kontakts vairäkus gadus, un vil)a sekoja tarn, ko es daru, lidz piedäväja kopä st rädät, tas nebija spontäni. Lasiju Tavu sacerejumu par Augustinu un Ta rkovski un nopriecäjos par skaidru domas izteiksmi. Jänis Avotil;s tiesäm ir te icams vestujbiedrs. Mäkslinieks jau va r büt esenciälists, kas uzskata, ka "pareizi" ir tikai kaut kädä vienä veidä, tädä, kä vii)s tobrid domä. KritiJ5jm savukärt jäbüt vairäk ironistam, ja lietojam Rortija dalijumu, un, Iai cik kategoriskam, tomer jä piejauj, ka starp ikkatru "jä" un "ne", attiecibä pret kuriem, protams, nostäjai jäbüt, pastäv zinäma svärstibu josla, kurä neviens nezina, kas notiek, un mäkslä tä ir sevisj.ti bütiska. Citädi var vispär nepamanit, kas notiek. Tu raks ti, ka pede jä laikä jüties mazliet drosäk un pä rliecinätäk. Vai atceries laiku, kad Tu piel)emi lemumu atteikties no visumä prognozejama dzives scenärija un pieversies mäkslai, kaut gan neviens negara nteja izdosanos? Tikko atnäcu mäjäs no Gerharda Rihtera izstädes, bija gara un Joti interesanta diena. Rihters ir man tuvs gleznotäjs un, domäju, viens no interesantäkajiem müsdienäs. Vii)S caur glezniecibu, glezniecibas gramatiku rada modejus vai sugestejosu vizualitäti - foto, piemeram, kjüst lasäms. Tätad caur triepieniem, gleznieciskiem pal)emieniem reflekte parfoto lasisanas dramaturgiju kä dokumentäcijas subjektivu materiälu. Lai gan runät par vestures subjektivitäti sodien ir banäli, jo tas ir tik daudz malts pedejos gados. Dokumentäcija I fikcija utt. lnteresantäkais Rihterä, manuprät, ir tas, kä vii)s megina nostädit savu skatienu. Vii)S to neitralize, l)emot ärä sajütas, säpes, ilgas utt., and, I think, one of the most interesting around today. Through painti and the grammar ofpainting he creates models, or an evocative visu. ity- a photo, for instance, becomes readable. So through brushwork a painterly techniques he reflects on the dramaturgy of reading a phc as subjective material of documentation. Even t hough discussion abc the subjectivity ofhistory today is banal, because it has been gone 0\ so many tim es in recent years; documentation and fiction etc. The mc interesting thing about Richter, in my opinion, isthat he is trying to foc his vision. He neutralizes it by removing feelings, pain,longing and so ( but this removal, as a methodic approach to images, is not dry, becat the as if castrated vision is stillloaded with belief and longing. which < very abstract and subjectively tangible. That's why I think he's great, l cause there are cont radictions within him, that circulate within the selves. Richteras if distances hirnself from the image, because the ima is only an image, a photo is only a photo, but not the thing itself. At the sa1 time, there isapalpable wish to find the source ofmeaning of an image, a ll its complexity. Doubts and belief, as is usually written about him. Ab out jänis Avotil)s: it is true that he is categorical and very criti< though this is to the benefit for our correspondence, as time and agai have come to rethink and weigh up many of the solutions I had arrived in painting. directly through the influence of our correspondence. Mo over, to my mind he is a very good artist, as he not only clearly and s iously thinks about what he's doing, but he is also able to translate t very weil into his paintings. What I remernher from Rorty - and thi~ what I like about him- isthat all existing models of thinking are cc structs from the history of civilization, and that o ne shouldn't get parti larly worked up aboutsuch concepts as 'truth', 'reality' and similar, as t is trivial. The risk of irony lies hidden in the fact that the one who is be ironic maintains a distance, observes and comments, but doesn't get volved at all himself. Such an attitude, among artists for instance, doe~

4 Eriks Apa!ais. Spogulis. Audekls, akrils I Mirror. Acrylic on canvas 240x195 cm. 2011

5 Eriks Apajais Sn1egav rs Audekls, eija I Snowman 0 11 on canvas 60x50 cm htr~n u,..,...u "'MJ0'"-4" "'"' "-WW.I,.,,_~ c~~t,..~ "'NM'OIWIAll.'JN"!o!Nr Eriks Apajais Sniegavirs Audekls. efla I Snowman Oil on canvas 180x160 cm ~,..,..Ao... ~/ot4.\ov~\:oy 1\.o'r"d,.,,..... ~p!io!o.rä r;jem~ana kä metodiska pieeja atteliem nav sausa, jo tiesi it kä ais skatiens tomer ir uzlädets ar ticibu un ilgäm, kas ir joti abstrakti jektivi taustämi. Täpec man s~iet, ka Vii)S ir lielisks, jo Vil)ä ir nas, kas cirkule sevi. Rihters it kä distancejas no attela, jo attels attels, foto ir tikai foto, bet ne pati lieta. Tajä pasä laikä ir jütama 1äs atrast attela nozimes sakni visä täs kompleksitäte. Saubas un käjau parvii}u parasti raksta. tr )äni Avotii}U - taisniba, ka vil}s ir kategorisks un joti kritisks, tas näk sarakstei par labu, jo daudzus risinäjumus, ko pier;jemu jot, näkas atkal un atkal pärdomät un izsvert tiesi müsu sarakstes lä. Turklät vii)s, manuprät, ir loti Iabs mäkslinieks, jo ne tikai skaidri 1ietni domä, ko dara, bet ari spej labi tulkot to gleznäs. No Rortija :ros - un tas man vil)ä patik -, ka visi esosie domäsanas mode)i ir vesturiski konstrukti un ka par jedzieniem "patiesiba", "isteniba" nevajag ipasi iespringt, tas ir triviäli. onijas risks slepjas tajä, ka ironizetäjs turas distanceti, vero un 1te, bet pats it kä nemaz nepiedaläs. Säda nostäja, piemeram, näksliniekiem mani isti nesaista, jo tad sanäk, ka käds no malas tte, bet reizem nav isti sapratis, par ko vispär ir runa. Piemeram inieki, kas aproprie un ironize modernistu meklejumus tirajä. Saprotams, ka tas ir utopisks un subjektivs.periods mäkslä, atiens, ko modernisti stimuleja, ir logisks sevi un ticams, ja tajä kli iejütas. Kaut gan ironija var dot vieglumu un neieciklesanos :ädos smagnejos nozimes meklejumos. lronija ir sarmanta, ja tä oektu attiecas pret to, par ko tä ironize. läkslai pieversos diezgan nejausi un säkumä a iz naivas velmes ~gt" ärä kaut ko, ko pats isti neapzinäjos. Es isti nedzirdeju apsevi runäjam. Mäksla toreiz ari likäs kaut kas ipa~s. Mäkslinieks 1iedribas ipa~ais individs. Sobrid jütos gandarits, ka pec visiem ~ad i em, ko seit mäcijos, svaidoties turpu surpu, meklejot un ties, ir izdevies lenä garä uztaustit kaut ko lidzigu nostäjai ccibä. Katrä zil)ä Harnburgas akademija, manuprät, ir joti laba, ar radiciju un labiem pasniedzejiem. Domäju, ka esmu daudz ieguvis ai mäkslas jomä, bet ari domäjot par dzivi. Gleznieciba ir riciba. kä riciba ir attiecibas ar pasauli. Kä atrast savus kriterijus ricibai, oties kultürä ar da ~ädäm tradicijäm,- tas, protams, ir jautäjums. ri man medz büt pretenzijas pret mäksliniekiem, kuri "iro- really attract me, as it can happen that someone is commenting from the sidelines, but may not have really understood what the discussion is about. For example, the artists who appropriate and ironise modernist explorations in their pure form. Understood: that was a utopian and subjective period in art, but the vision which modernists stimulated is in itself logical and believable - if one enters into the spirit of it, even for a moment. Although irony can provide lightness and divert the focus from heavy-duty searches for meaning. lrony is charming, if it is respectful with regard to the thing that it is ironising. I took up art somewhat by accident and initially through a nai ve wish to 'shout' out something, I wasn't really fully aware ofwhat it was. I didn't really hear myself consciously saying anything. At that time art also seemed to be something special. The artist as a special individual in society. At the moment I feel gratified that after all those years I spent studying here, throwing myself into this and that, searching and doubting, l've managed to slowly reach something akin to a position in painting. In any case the Harnburg Academy is very good, in my opinion, with a long-standing tradition and great lecturers. I think that l've gained a Iot, not just in the field of art, but also in thinking about life. Painting is action, behaviour. The same way that behaviour is our relationship with the world. How to find one's own criteria for behaviour, when living in a culture with a variety oftraditions- that, of course, is the question. I too tend to take issue with artists who offer 'irony' as something that could be completely different, and always cross their fingers, just in case they need a path of retreat. lt seems to me that an artist has to be convinced that his work is the only and perfect way that an idea can be executed. At tim es, joy about some works by young Latvian artists is ruined on seeing the extent to which, without much thought, the instilled "models" have been repeated in them, something has simply turned out or been added to make things more interesting. These are the times I want to say, like some oid teacher: "Think for yourself!" I have noticed that your works are both spontaneaus as weil as Iogicai, despite your slightly playful (perhaps even exaggeratedly childish- I previously thought} approach. Has this emerged from your personality, or was the ability to structure your vision and explain why it's this way and not some other taught to you at university? I Udlja 78/ 11

6 t riks Apa)als Sn egs ~rkl~j un wnl.loclgi ozdz~. ka vardus unut lwlt.j poptr l;opo. Audekl>, ei)a I Snow would MJd Md r<rnulla~ l!fiu~. lokt words b.11 9 wcbd onro ~ wme sllret of ~pcr Ool on unvas 40x~Ocm 2010 niju" piedäva kä kaut ko, kas lt kä vari!tu büt pavisam citädäk, un vlenml!r patur pigu kabatä, gadijumä ja ievajagas alkäpsanäs ceju. Man s ~i et, mäkslinjekam jäbüt pärlieclnätam, ka VIQa darbs ir vie nigals un pllnigals veids, kä ideja var büt icmiesot:j. Reizern prieku par daju latviesij jauno mäkslinieku darbu bojä tas, ka es redzu, cik tajos, daudz nedomäjot, atkärtotl iemäcitl "paraugi", kautkas v i enkä r~ l sanäcls val piellkts klät, Iai bütu interesantäk. Tädos gadijumos gribas teikt kä vecai skolotäjai: oomä lidzll" Es manu, ka Tavi da rbi ir gan spontänl, gan loglskl, par s p1tl drusku rotajigam (agräk man likäs, ka pat u.zspeleti b e rni s ~igam) piegajienam. Val tas 17:rlcl no tavas personibas, val sp~ja strukturet savu viziju un paskaidr'ol, käpec tä un ne citädl, tlka treni!ta augstskolä?... ~odicn pamodos un vi!l ilgu dienas daju biju sapoa varä. kaut kädi murgi atkal rädijäs. Lai ari reizem ~lpet. ka speju ar savu apziqu un prlitu vlsu kontrolet, vienmcr atduros pret nespeju ietekmet zemapzlqll ta, kii man to gribctos, pareizäk- nav pal no~~iruma, jo lespejams, ka d1ena 1 ap mja ir läda patl reahtäte ka mlegs 1 bezapzil)a. Tä ietekrn~. forme dlenas skat1enu, piemeram, skumjas, ilgas nav iespe Jams izl)cmt ara ar prätu. Reizern sapni es red zu savas omas mäjas. kur pavadiju vasaras bernibä, un tä Iahnes sajiita sapni 1r tik speciga. kädu nekad nc)ütu chcna. Tas tä personiski... Turpinot par apropriäcijas piegäjlenu, domäju, ka tädä veidä ir... today I woke up and then for much of thc day was in a dream like state. the nlghtm<~res kcpt appearingagain. Although somelimes it seems that I can control everything wilh my consclousncss and mmd, I always come up agalost an lnability to influcnce my ~ubconscious lhe way that l'd hke. more accurately- there's no separation, as 1t ls possible thatday I consciousness ls the same reauty as sleep I unconsciousness. lt influences and forms the day's outlook. For examplc. 1t's not possible to get rid of sadncss and longmg with your mind. Sometimes in my dreams I see my grandma's house where I spent my chlldhood summers, and that feellng ofhappincss m my dream h::~s a potency which I never experience du ring thc day. That's <J bit personally... Continuing on about the approprlatfon approach,l think that in this way lt ls posslble to avoid taking on the burden of being someone unprecedentedly unique. because everything ls a contlnuation ofthc existing. the repetition may have an mteresring character. To me. Rodney Graham 1s super; even though hc appropriates. His references from Marccl Bruder. Mallarme el al, and poetic1zing them. quotmg, rcvelation of context, is complex The best rhmg ls- 1t's obv1ous that he respects and understands these artists. Respecl, criticism and humour ls bajanced in the righl proportion. I have an lntcresting relationship with my teacher Andreas Slomin ski, hmm, how C<Jn I pul it best- somelimes wl' understand cach other SIUd Ia

7 iespejams neuzkraut sev nastu büt kaut kädam neredzeti vienreizigam, jo viss ir esosä turpinäjums, atkärtojumam ir iespejams interesants raksturs. Rodnijs Greiems man s ~i et super, Iai ari vil)s aproprie. Vil)a references no Marsela Brüdera, Malarme u. c. un to poetizesana, citesana, kontekstu atversana ir kompleksa. Pats labäkais - redzams, ka vi!}s ciena sos mäksliniekus un saprot. Respekts, kritika un humors ir labäs deväs sabalansets. Ar manu pasniedzeju Andreu Slominski mums ir tädas interesantas attiecibas, khm, kä Iai pareizäk pasaka, - reizem mes saprotamies no pusvärda, un reizem ir dzelzs auk(g)stums gaisä. Slominskis vienmer pats izvelas, kurus studentus uzl)emt klase. Pie vil)a var iekjüt tikai tad, ja vil)s pats ir studentu noskatijis un pats aicina. Tä tas notika ari ar mani - Vii)S jautäja, vai varu städities prieksä studijas pie vil)a, uz ko atbildeju, ka jä. Vil)am ir ass präts, labas noverosanas spejas un laba fantäzija, bet reizem Vil)s iestregst savä skata perspektivä. Vii)S katrä gadijumä man ir svarigs cilveks, no kura esmu Joti daudz ko iemäcijies, ari par dzivi. Ar mäkslas izglitibu Latvijä man grüti salidzinät, jo neesmu studejis LMA, betdomäju, ka tur ir laba formälä tradicija, kautgan, iespejams, klibo vai nav pietiekami atve 1:a saturiski. Bet es personiski domäju, ka viss nav balts I melns un ka Latvijä, iespejams, ir stipräs puses, kuras stimulejot pareizajä virzienä var kaut kas izveidoties. Ir tik daudz visädu modes lietu mäkslä, kas, kä jau Th rakstiji, ir vieta, kur neviens nezina, kas notiek, kur esence cirkule un staigä. Bet, klau, es priecätos, ja Th uzrakstitu savas domas par maniem pedejiem darbiem, par manu tekstu, Iai mes varetu runät par niansem, jo es neveletos tikai stästit par sevi. Es Joti uzmanigi izsakos par darbiem, ko redzu tikai datora ekränä, tädej nepretendeju uz vertejumu. Tur ir viens melns Iaukums ar atsevisl,<äm detajäm, bet man sl,<:iet, ka kräsas vieliskums ir Joti bütisks, kä Tu pamatoti raksti, tas ir materializets laiks utt. Tas pats par otas rakstu, uzspiedienu: es Joti skeptiski izturos pret tiem, kas uzskata, ka visu zina, visu ir redzejusi- pussekunde datora ekränä. Bez iedzijinäsanäs, bez kaut käda domu darba. Un spriedumi gatavi. Es domäju, ka Tu pats tädus ekspertus zini vaigä, nav värdä jäsauc. No otras puses, man viens draugs teica, ka labu filmu var ats~rt no sliktas ari tad, ja to räda melnbaltä televizorä ar istabas antenu, un sava taisniba ir. Nesen petiju pagäjusos laikus - sesdesmitos, septil)desmitos -, kad "ieksejä pasaule" mäkslä bija alfa un omega. Tavs paraugs Tarkovskis jau no tä pasa uzplüda. Bet tas vienmer bijis vairäk saistits ar sirreälismu vai ekspresiju, turpreti Tu "ieksejai pasaulei" tuvojies ar abstraktu, analitisku pieeju. Täpec mans "teijuks" labäk räda tos darbus uz kräsainiem foniem, ari sniega gleznojumu. Ar ieksejo un ärejo pasauli vienmer ir täda l,<:eza, ka divas dazädas ieksejäs nav salidzinämas, täs ir slegtas, ja nav nekädu noräzu uz ärejo, visiem pazistamo, caur kuru var komunicet. Tädej tas pats Tarkovskis ir vienmer mocits ar semiotisku analizi un vel visu ko. Abstrakcijas- ciparu, matemätikas- valoda ari ir universäla, tädej caur to var komunicet. Täpec veids, kä Tu radi mäjienus uz kaut ko atpazistamu, kädu lidzibu, un tüda! pat to nojauc, ir joti saistoss. Es gan baidos, ka skatitäjs vienalga mekle lidzibu prieksmetiem, konvencionälus emociju kodus, simbolus, jo citädi- ko vil)am vispär domät? Ja vien nav tik Joti advancets (kädi gan laikam ir mäkslas pasaules cilveki, kas ir ieksä visä tajä procesä, kurä Tu ari sobrid piedalies), ka baudu sagädä pats mäjienu, vilinäjumu, atraidijumu un pedu jauksanas flirts. Katrä zil)ä prieks, ka Tu tik slidenä temä from a single word, and at others there is a steely loftiness I iciness in the air. Slominski hirnself always chooses the students he wants in his dass. You will only be accepted ifhe has observed and invited you himself. That's how it was forme as weil- he asked if I wish to study with him, to which I answered yes. He has a sharp mind, fine powers of Observation and a good imagination, but at times he gets stranded in his own view of things. ln any case, formehe is an important person, one from whom l have learnt a great deal. about life as weil. lt's hard forme to compare with art education in Latvia, as 1 haven't studied at the LMA [Art Academy of Latvia), but 1 think that there's a good formal tradition there, though there is a possibility that it's a little staid or not openminded enough contents-wise. But, personally 1 think that it's not all black I white and that in Latvia, probably, there are the strong sides which, if stimulated in the right direction, could develop into something. There are so many different strands of fashion in art which, as you wrote, is an area where no-one knows what's happening, where the essence is circulating and moving around. But, Iisten, l'd be happy if you'd write down your thoughts about my recent works, about my text, so that we could talk about nuances, because 1 don't want to talk justabout myself. I am very careful how I comment on works which I can only see on the computer screen, so I don't claim to offer an assessment. There's a black field with separate details, but it seems to methat the materiality ofthe colour is very crucial, as you justifiably write, it is time materialized etc. The same goes for the brush stroke, the Impression: I am very sceptical of those who think they know everything, have seen everything within half a second on the computer screen, without digging deeper, without engaging their mind. And their judgment is ready. I think that you yourself know such experts personally, I don't have to name names. On the other hand, a friend once told me that a good film can be distinguished from a bad one even when shown on a black and white television set with a room antenna, and there is some truth in that. Recently I was resea rching times gone by- the Sixties and Seventies- when in art the "internal world" was the alpha and omega. Your example, Tarkovsky, roseout oftbis same stream. But that's always been more to do with surrealism or expression, while you approach the "internal world" with an abstract, analytical approach. That's why my telly shows those works better on coloured backgrounds, even a painting of snow. There's always a problern with internal and external worlds, that two different internal ones aren't comparable, they are closed if there aren't any references to the external one, familiar to everyone, through which we can communicate. That's why that same Tarkovsky is always tormented by semiotic analysis and all sorts of other things. The language of abstraction - numbers, mathematics- is also universal, that's why we can communicate through it. So the way that you create allusions to something recognizable, some similarity, and then immediately dismantle it, is very arresting. I do fear, however, that the viewer regardless seeks similarities to objects, conventional codes of emotion, symbols, because otherwise- what are they to think? Unless they are so advanced (as people ofthe art world probably are, who are Inside that whole process in which you're currently participating), that the pleasure is provided by the flirtation with allusion, enticement, rebuff and dissembling. ln any case J'm happy that with such a slippery topic as memories you've left behind the presence 54 S I Udlj B 78/11

8 Eriks Apalais s Audekls. II. akrils/ Oil and acrylic. on canvas 140x195 cm kä atmil)as esi atvadilles no infantllu - ne sllktä nozime, bet tomer- personäiu klätbütnes. To vietä i1 formu sugestija, kas atgädina, bet nepasaka, ko, neparäda, bet Iiek rnanit Var tikai rninet, kas ir " aiz'~ ko var meginät salidzinät ar savu pieredzi, bet neva 1~ jo nav zinäms, ar ko salidzinäties utt. Tä ka uz prieksu, veco zen! Bet es pie!auju, ka Jasitäjus interese ari kaut kas pavisam sa dzivlsks, nu, uzraksti, lüdzu! Bi ja interesanti Jasit, tikko atnäcu rnäjäs, lieku kopä grämatu Con fessions, ko prezcnteju I.aikmetigäs mäkslas centrä pirms gada, t. i., skices. ~od ien pärrevidejot saprotu, cik väji tas viss ir, domäju tekstu stipri saisinät, abstrahet un narativu caur zimejumiem büvet citädak. Tä laikam ncmaz nebüs grämata, bct... kh mm, noslepums. Nesaprotu, käpec "Studija" Tev vienkärsi neapmaksä lidojumu uz izstadi. Tagad skrienu uz viena drauga dzimsanas dienu. Sodien salaboju riteni un priecajos parsau Ii. Saule ir tik skaistaun laba! * Pa r ieksejiem atteliem runäjot - tä ir subjektiva padarisana, es to apzinos un, neskatoties uz to, mekleju subjektlvitäte tädu kä tikai abstrakti taustämu esenci. Si esence parasti veidojas, i:tmantojot dazädus valodas elementus. Piemeram 8 kä cipars, ari snicgavirs ietvcr so pasu fo rmu 8. Tomer katrs Ir veidojies citädäk, ~ie elementi Ir it kä caur manu subjektfvo piered:ti izkristalizejusies värdi. ~os värdus es izmantoju, Iai veidotu teikumu~. bet teikums nav lincärs - gleznas lasisanas dramaturgija ir iespejama daiädos veidos. Zimju abstrakcija, dekonstrukcija ]auj katram värdam atbalsoties blakus värdä, tätad elementi parasti ietver kädu daju no cita elcmenta - vai nu caur triepicnu, formu, vai, iespejams, lasämu da!u no pamatvärda. Piemeram, lauztä nüja värdä Words it kä sniegavira koka roka, kä lauzts burts L. Bet, sädi lasot, rodas saubas, vai sniegavirs ir sniegavfrsvai ariplanetas. lidz ar to ari nüjas noztmes meklesanas ~ede vairs nav relevanta. Nozime patstävigi cirkule caur siem elementiem, of Infantile- not in a bad sense, but still - personalities. ln their place thet e is tbe suggestion of form that remlnds us of something but does not explain whal, doesn't show but makes us iutuit. One can only guess what lies "behlnd", something to try to compare to one's own experience, but can't, because it isn't known wlth what to compare, etc. So, keep on going, my friendl But I assume that readers may also be interested in something completely domestic. Piease do write about tltis! ltwas interesting to read, l justgot back home, this book J'm putting together, 'Confessions: wh lch I presented at the Contemporary Art Centre a year ago, i.e., sketches. Today, while revising it, I saw how weak lt all is; l'm thinking ofradically cutring the text, making it more abstractand building the narrative differently through drawings. lt probably won't even be a book, but... hmrn, it's a secret. I can't understand why Studijo doesn't simply pay for your night to the cxhibition. Now l'm hurrying off to a friend's birthday. Today I fixed my bike and enjoyed the sunshine. The sun is so beautiful and so good! * Talking about intemal images - it's a subjective pursuit, l am aware of this, nevertheless in subjectivity I seek for a type of abstract tangible es sence. This essence usually takes shape using various elements of lan guage. For example, there is 8 as a number, [but] a snowman also contains the same shape of 8. Yet each has developed in a different way; these elements have, as if through my subjective experience, crystallized into words. I use these words to create sentences, but a sentence is not linear - the dramaturgy of reading paintings can happen in various ways. The abstraction or deconstruction of slgns allows each word to reverber ate into the next word, d1erefore elements usually include some part of anothcr elemcnt- whethcr through a strake of the brush, a form or; pos sibly, a readable part of the key word. For example, the broken stick in the s I v d 1 J a 78/11 55

9 bet svarlgi, ka si cirkuläcija nav spekulativa. Täs esence ir subjektivi preclza. Bütlbä es mekleju tädu kä nozimes izsipsanas principu, kura gaitu caur darbiem parädit. Svarigi, ka sie atsevisl;de elementi ir gleznoti ar otu. Es mekleju un meginu balanset starp analitisku, distancetu pieeju un ticibu iespejai atrast nozimi sajä tiesäm abstraktajä värdu ~ede. Es nevelos mehäniski komentet, bet ari meklet. Tarkovska specigie simboli - lidojosäs sveces, balodisi, Bahs - biezi ir pärprasti vai pat uzskatiti par kicu, bet vi~;ta speja caur attelu ritmu uzburt ieksejo laika sajütu ir vienreizeja. Metafizika, kä zinäms, ir slidena, bet domäju, ka ir iespejams sajust, kas ir organiski, lsti izrunäts attels ärpus valodas un kas ir blefs. Skrienu atkal ärä uz vienu tu s i~;t u, rakstisu driz, pedejäs dienäs vienos riksos. Tu )oti izs me)osi esi uzrakstijis par saväm radosajäm idejäm un pieeju, bet par dzivi neesi neko va )sirdigs! Ko Tu konkreti katru dienu dari savas toposas izstädes labad un ko - täpat redzesloka paplasinäsanai?... nu, piemeram, sodien uzkopu istabu, tirlju logus, )oti svariga lieta, Iai bütu iespejams skaidrs skatiens uz ärpusi, klausijos müziku (Bahu). U!nä garä pärväcos uz jauno darbnicu. Pagaidäm atradu pavisam mazu telpu 14m 2, bet ar skaistu skatu, labu gaismu un auru:) Vakar sedeju tur pirmäs 3 stundas, iztirlju visu, ari logus, iededzinäju sveclti, iestiprinäjos ar svaigu maizi un üdeni un päris banäniem pa virsu. Apsedos pie galda, skatijos pa logu, ieliku väze dzeltenu rozi, atveru dienasgrämatu un rakstiju ärä to, kas satrauc, kas tirda un neliek mieru. Pec päris stundäm sajutu, kä dvesele nomierinäs un es atgriezos uz bridi pats pie sevis. Pec mirkja jau biju aziätu estuve un vakari~;toju. Dienu pavadlju pilnigi viens pats, nesatiku nevienu. Vakarä gribeju iet ärä, bet pedejä brldi pärdomäju, jo biju jau piekusis. Biezi pärlasu vakaros Cehova lsos stästil)us. Kädä st adijä 1\J sobrid esi pret gaidämo izstädi (kad iz nä ks zurnäls, t ä jau büs atkläta)? Ar to varetu noapa)ot sarunu (piedod par frivolo ka lambüru!) Ar izstädi ir tä, ka man ir iekräti darbi no pedejä pusgada, gada, atlasot labäkos. Vel menesa laikä pec diploma uzgleznoju cetrus piecus jaunus. Ar galeristi Veru mes saprotamies joti labi, vil)a man patlk arikä cilveks, ne tikai profesionäli, man patlk gan vi~;tas nostäja, gan daudzi mäkslinieki galerijas programmä. Tä ka viss büs, domäjams, OK. ~odien nekas ipass nenotika, ä, sap~;toju par jürmalu un käpäm. Cik skaisti vasarä bütu padzivoties pa jürmalu un atpüsties, pagozeties saulite, papeldeties, vakarä Vecrlgä ar draugiem kädu alu iedzert, eh, jünijä, domäju, büsu Rigä' word Words is like a snowman's wooden arm, like a broken Ietter L. But, reading it like this, doubt arises whether the snowman isasnowman or planets as weil, and consequently the chain ofthe search for the meaning ofthe stick is no Ionger relevant either. Meaning circulates independently through these elements, but it's important that this circulation isn't speculative. lts essence is subjectively precise. Basicaily I am searching for something like the dispersal principle of meaning. the progress of which I could show through my work. lt is important that these individual elements are painted with a brush. I search for and try to balance between an analyticaily distanced approach and belief in the possibility of finding meaning in this truly abstract word chain. I don't wish to mechanically comment, but also to search. Tarkovsky's powerful symbols- flying candles, little pigeons, Bach - are often misunderstood, or even considered tobe kitsch, but his ability to conjure up an internal sense of time through the rhythm of images is unique. Metaphysics, as we know, is elusive but I thi nk that it's possible to sense which is an organicaily, truly expressed image beyond language, and which is a sham. J'm rushing offto another party, J'il write soon, these last few days l've been on the go constantly. You've written quite exhaustively about your creative ideas and approach, but you're not very open a bout your own life! What are you specifically doing each day foryour a pproacbingexhibition, and what else do you do- just to broaden your horizons?... weil, for instance, today I tidied the room, cleaned the windows, that's a very important thing so that I can have a clear view of outside, and listened to music (Bach). l'm graduaily moving into a new workshop. For now J've found a very small space, 14 square metres, but with a beautiful view, good light and a positive aura :) Yesterday I sat there for the first three hours, cleaned everything. including the vvindows, lita candle, snacked on fresh bread and water and a couple bananas on top ofthat... Sat down at the table, looked out the window, placed a yellow rose in a vase, opened my diary and wrote out the things that are worrying me, botheri ng me and won't give me peace. After a couple of hours I feit my soul settling down and I returned to myself for a moment In no time at ail, I was at an Asian canteen and having dinner. I spent the day completely alone, didn't meet anyone at all. In the evening I had wanted to go out, butat the last moment I changed my mind, as I was feelingtired. Often in the evenings I reread Chekhov's short stories. At what stage are you currently with your coming exbibition (will it already be open wben the magazine comes out)? With that we could round up the discussion (forgive me the frivolaus pun!)' As regards the exhibition, it's like this. I have collectcd works from the past six months, a year, selecting the best. In addition, the month after the diploma I painted four or five new ones. I have a very good understanding with gallerist Vera, I like her as a person as weil, not just professionally; I like both her attitude as weil as many ofthe artists in the gailery programme. So everything. I should think, will be OK. Today nothing special happened, ah, I dreamt about the seaside and sandhills. How beautiful it would be to spend some time on the beach du ring the summer; resting, lying about in the sun, swimming. and then in the evening to go into Vecriga for a beer with friends, huh, come )une, I think 1'11 be in Riga! Transtator into Engtish: Utdis Brüns 1 Ed. nore A Iiterat Iranstation of the artist's surname Apa(ais woutd be 'The Round One' 56 s t u d ja 78 / 11