THE EMOTIONAL SATURATION OF WORKS AND SUNNY COLOUR FEELING SPEAKS NOT ONLY ON THE EXCELLENT PAINTER IN THE LATVIAN CULTURE, BUT ALSO ENCOURAGES TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE REGARDING THE SOCIAL BACKGROUND IN TERMS OF THE CRITICISM CHARACTERISTIC TO THAT TIME AND DOMINATING VIEWS IN THE SOCIETY.

IN SOME LETTER OF 17 SEPTEMBER 1956, JANIS PAULUKS WROTE TO LEO SVEMPS (...) I AM VERY GLORIOUS AND JOYFUL IN COLOURS, BUT IN THE PERSONAL LIFE – THE OPPOSITE (...)

THE PAINTINGS BY JANIS PAULUKS CAN BE VIEWED IN THE EXHIBITION HALLS OF THE SOVIET LATVIA MORE OR LESS REGULARLY...

THE 50-TIES ARE MARKED WITH FORMATION OF NEW PAINTING TENDENCIES IN THE ART ENVIRONMENT, HOWEVER, EVEN IN THE BACKGROUND CREATED BY THIS PROCESS THE WORKS OF JANIS PAULUKS LOOKED CHALLENGING AND ESPECIALLY DIFFERENT.

THE WORLD’S BREATH DID NOT ALLOW HIM TO BECOME BORING AND INACTIVE IN THINKING AND FEARFUL PAINTER.

IN 1959, IN THE NEWSPAPER "CINA" [THE FIGHT] THE COMMENTS BY UGA SKULME REGARDING PAINTINGS OF JANIS PAULUKS APPEARED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE EXHIBITION OF THAT TIME: “… UNDESERVEDLY MANY LINES MUST BE DEDICATED TO J.PAULUKS, BECAUSE HE CONFUSES VIEWERS WITH HIS EXTRAORDINARY CHARACTER; HE EVEN DOES NOT FEEL SHY TO PRAISE HIMSELF AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT THAT SOME PROPHET, FIGHTER FOR MODERN ART IS TO BE SEEN IN PAULUKS…”

LEO SVEMPS COMMENTS IT BY DIPLOMATIC CONCLUSION: ".. UGA SKULME IN HIS CRITICISM COMES DOWN ON J.PAULUKS FOR BAD TASTE... THE TASTE IS NOT THE MAIN THING FOR A PAINTER, BUT HIS OR HER CREATIVE SPIRIT, HIS OR HER ACTIVITIES, SEARCHING FOR HIS OR HER OWN STYLE...”

P.S. UGA SKULME/1885-1963/ LATVIAN PAINTER, ART HISTORIAN AND TEACHER. LEO SVEMPS/1897-1975/ LATVIAN PAINTER AND LAWYER.

TEXT BY ILZE KUIÐELE, DIRECTOR, TIFANA ART GALLERY

THE REFERENCE MATERIALS:

ZIGURDS KONSTANTS, "JANIS PAULUKS ", REPRODUCTION ALBUM. RIGA, THE PUBLISHING HOUS "LIESMA", 1992.

"MAKSLA UN ARHITEKTURA BIOGRAFIJAS" [THE ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN BIOGRAPHIES]

ENCYCLOPEDIA "LATVIJA UN LATVIESI" [LATVIA AND LATVIANS], THE 3RD VOLUME.