AS WE OBSERVE THIS ERA IN ANDREJS KALNAČS’S ETCHINGS, WE UNEXPECTEDLY FIND OURSELVES IN A PERIOD OF LATVIAN ART WHICH TO THE YOUNGSTERS OF TODAY IS NO MORE THAN A STORY HEARD IN LESSONS AT SCHOOL… IN THE 1980S KALNAČS’S PRINTS WERE A SARCASTIC COMMENTARY OF THE ERA. THE WORKS ARE DOMINATED BY CRITIQUE OF THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL BACKDROP, PRESENTED IN A “NEO-EXPRESSIONISTIC” MANNER. WHAT EMERGES IS A ROBUST AND POWER-HUNGRY ARTISTIC ENTITY, WHOSE IDEA OF POWER IS ABSOLUTE IMPUNITY IN THE CHOICE OF ITS INSTRUMENTS.
THE ENGRAVING TECHNIQUES IN THIS CASE ARE ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IN CREATING THE EXPRESSIVE, EMOTIONALLY CHARGED LINES OF THE ARTISTIC IMAGE.
IN THE ETCHINGS ANDREJS KALNAČS’S MONSTERS ARE PUT IN AN INDUSTRIAL, HARSH ENVIRONMENT: ON RAILWAY ARTERIES, IN RAILROAD CARRIAGES, WITHIN THE SPACE OF IMAGINED POWER – NOT JUST AT SOME CONFINED GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION BUT IN THE ALL-ENCOMPASSING SPACE OF THE WORLD, IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS SPECIFIC TIME FRAME. THIS IS THE MEETING PLACE OF THE ARTS AND POLITICS, OF HUMAN DREAMS – OF EVERYTHING.

THE EXHIBITION PRESENTS EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL AND TECHNICALLY BRILLIANT AUTHOR’S PROOFS NEXT TO A PAINTED PHOTOGRAPH OF A YOUNG FIDEL CASTRO, CREATED USING MODERN TECHNOLOGIES, AND A POSTER PAINTED IN OILS.

ENGRAVING:

THE GRAPHIC IMPRINT OF AN IMAGE ON PAPER, PARCHMENT OR FABRIC, ACQUIRED USING LETTERPRESS, GRAVURE OR LITHOPRINTING TECHNIQUES, WITH THE ARTIST PERFORMING THE ENTIRE CREATIVE PROCESS HIM/HERSELF. THE ARTIST MAY USE A SINGLE PRINTING PLATE TO PRODUCE A NUMBER OF GOOD QUALITY PRINTS, ALL OF WHICH RETAIL THE VALUE OF THE ORIGINAL WORK OF ART.

ETCHING:

(FRENCH EAU-FORTE, FROM LATIN AQUA FORTIS, THE ALCHEMICAL NAME OF NITRIC ACID)

1. AN INTAGLIO PRINTMAKING TECHNIQUE. A METAL PLATE IS COVERED WITH A LAYER OF GROUND, INTO WHICH THE LINES OF THE DESIGN ARE SCRATCHED WITH AN ETCHING NEEDLE. THE PLATE IS THEN IMMERSED IN ACID, OR MORDANT. THE INK SINKS INTO THE EXPOSED GROOVES IN THE METAL PLATE, AND IS TRANSFERRED USING PRESSURE, TO PRODUCE A PRINT.
2. A WORK OF ART PRODUCED USING THIS TECHNIQUE.*

TEXT: ILZE KUIŠELE, DIRECTOR OF TIFANA ART GALLERY