Karalyte.com

Vytautas Laisonas

Egle — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:34:34 +0000

Vytautas Laisonas, a Lithuanian painter, lives and works in Biržai, a city in northern Lithuania. His artwork is already beautifying the homes and collections in Japan, USA, Germany, Italy, France, Hungary, etc…

Vytautas kindly took the time to share his thoughts, ideas, and artwork with me. I am very happy to share them with you.

Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about your first encounters with art. Why did you choose painting as your form of expression?

I have been interested in art since early childhood – from around ten or twelve years old. At the beginning I was drawn to the graphics. Later on, around the age of nineteen, I found the painting. For the first trials I used the acrylic paint and then I switched to oil. I am still faithful to it because it allows me to express myself in the best way.

Do you have a creative vision/mission/theme that functions like a „north star“ or „centre of gravity“ in your work?

My mission is very simple. There is a saying that suits me (and perhaps to all other people who create) „if you don‘t need to sing, dance or write, don‘t do it.“ Personally, I need to paint – I can‘t live without it. I don‘t have a central theme that repeats throughout my work. I am interested in a lot of things: romantic relationships, music (mostly performed with wind-instruments), and the utopian cities.

Your work reminds me the elegance and warmth of Modigliani or Gustav Klimt, the collage-style of Marc Chagall, and Aušra Čapskytė‘s playfulness and color palettes. Do you like these artists? Which ones are inspirational for you?

I am fascinated by many authors – the full list would be really long. Yes, Gustav Klimt is on the list. From the Lithuanian artists, I like Algis Griškevičius and Arūnas Žilys.

Your series „The Other Cities“ transfers a traditional city into the different worlds and challenges us on the true meaning of the city. Your cities are „seeded“ and „live“ on the ship, around the tree, above the clouds or at the footer of an apple. Perhaps you like to imagine the world „upside down“ :} How do you see these worlds, what are you looking for within them and what are you trying to tell us through them?

I like to play with the cities. Sometimes I personify them, sometimes I transform them into a city-kingdom, sometimes I show an utopian city, sometimes I simply test how far I can change the shape, the size and the location without loosing the concept of a city and its true meaning.

I like to „plant“ the cities around various locations as if the cities were the colourful mosses. Or I suddenly „throw in“ an alien into the city, e.g. the giant apple, and I observe how the city handles this. The other day I received a funny comment about my painting „The Apple“ (to the right):
„I wonder what they (the city dwellers) will do once the apple starts rotting..“.

I enjoy when people embark on this game together with me and allow themselves to dream.

Through my cities I ask people to take a different look into our global world and its greatness which sometimes is very fragile.

There are quite a lot of elfs in your work. What is their symbolic meaning to you and why have you chosen them?

I want to develop my own personage and thus I‘ve started with the small people.

In what type of environment do you enjoy to work? Does the environment influence you?

I have a very cosy atelier with the firewood driven heater. I always listen to music when I paint and sometimes it really inspires me.

When is the best and the most difficult time for you to paint?

It is the most difficult when I can‘t realize my creative ideas to the fullest. But these are also the happy moments, because one learns, improves and moves forward with every new artwork.

How and where do you search for inspiration? In the work of other artists, nature, within yourself, books..?

It is always a spontaneous thing. I can never predict the time or location of when the inspiration will catch me. Sometimes when painting a scene, I get an urge to create ten more variations of it. I only feel how various things effect me. I believe I am influenced and inspired by the artwork of my Lithuanian colleagues and the foreign artists, movies, daily situations, a very familiar but also a pleasantly surprising nature of Biržai, and a calm city life.

What type of literature and music do you enjoy?

I like various music and I can’t say that I am devoted to one particular style. I enjoy the original classical music of Vienna, the modern interpretations of the classical music, music with the jazz elements, quality pop, rock bands who are not afraid to experiment. At the moment I could highlight the Icelandic work and my two favourite bands „múm“ and „Sigur Rós“. Concerning the literature, I read the visual arts related one.

What are your ideas, themes or plans for the future work?

It would be extremely difficult to define what I will paint in a year, a half, or a decade. Every day near the canvas is a different one because of my different thoughts, mood or spiritual state. I can‘t foresee my feelings. I am driven by a constant search. I am not bouncing but rather changing little by little.

Explore Further

Vytautas’ Short Bio

Peter Lindbergh

Egle — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:31:26 +0000

“C reativity is the basis of self-expression. Why are some people supposedly more creative than others, and why can’t others open themselves up enough to be able to express who they are?

Creation is the birth of something, and something cannot come from nothing. When someone creates something: a painting, a poem, a photograph, the creativity comes from an idea, from a feeling, from emotion, or from a combination of ideas, feelings and emotions that are somehow ‘reborn’ from all our experiences and perspectives.”

“Creativity is the desire to express ourselves. To formulate these expressions, we have to draw from our reservoir of experience, dreams, desires and experimentation and mix together what was, what is, and what could be…. I don’t think you can learn it, it is rather something that evolves. Your perception of everything in your life fills up this reservoir.”

“Some people are drawn to create and express themselves, others are drawn to reflect, to analyze. But in the end, they all could be creative if they had the desire to explore the way in which they are integrated in the world of their experiences. Because creativity is really a rebirth, a true tone we feel for ourselves and for our world. Then our work becomes a real part of who we are. Maybe all this is a question of how deep we are willing to go… “

by Peter Lindbergh

with Lily, New York, June 1996

Explore Further

Morning Inspirations

Egle — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:06:48 +0000

Here are some images that I found somewhere on the internet..

They reflect such lightness and freedom within themselves, that you get the internal feeling to fly away. The visual poetry..

Their aesthetic sensibility, mood, tone, and the spirit very much remind me of the following classical movies:

Frantisek Vlacil’s “The White Dove” (Czech)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175743/

Mikhail Kalatozov’s “The Cranes Are Flying” (Russian)
http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=146&eid=218Â§ion=essay

François Truffaut’s “The 400 blows” (French)
http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=5&eid=286Â§ion=essay

merci

Egle — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:44:47 +0000

Merci has a new unique concept within the parisian stores landscape. It was created with the cause to aid child protecting organizations beginning with those focused in Madagascar, one of the poorest countries on earth. All profits from this store go to a children’s charity in Madagascar.

In this area of 1500 m2, imagined by Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, founders of Bonpoint, the layout is more reminiscent of a house than a department store. You can find there an ensemble of multiple flavours – a used-books café in the library setting, clothes store featuring the clothes of famous designers who have donated them for the cause, deco products, perfume store, flower shop, and the garden…

French, bohemian, “grundzy,” scoutish, organic, and country-side inspired boutique invites you into the universe of the authentically luxurious camper.

Address:

11 boulevard Beaumarchais
75003 Paris
Metro: Saint Sébastien-Froissart ( ligne 8 )
View Map>>

Visit Website >>

The Merci's garden. On the opposite side one can see a café-library.

On the right you can see the designer's Saint Laurent's clothes donated by the designer for the cause. In the far right - a small Goutal "laboratory" orchestrated by Isabelle Doyen (with fragant juice based on natural essences) sold in simple flacons at -40% discount off their regular prices.

A cafe within the used books biblioteque. The cafe serves home-baked bread, marmelades, and a little snack for noon.

Entrance to the clothes boutique

Elements within the deco boutique downstairs.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Icicle

Egle — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:41:00 +0000

1. Round Panelled Cup. British artist Clare Gage.
2. Single-track. Stoneware 2008. 95 x 65 x 78 cm. British artist Eva Hild.
3. Duo. Crystal clear glass. LxWxH 28.5 x 24 x 8.5 cm. French glass artist Celine Tilliet.
4. Icework Winter – Ephemeral Art. Canadian visual artist Nicole Dextras.
5. Glass Sculpture by Elena Fleury-Rojo. Hand blown glass.
6. Kube Hotel in Paris, France.
7. Slush Cast Bowl pewter. British designer and maker Ian McIntyre.
8. Flora. Lithuanian painter Migle Kosinskaite.

Le Cotte Roti

Egle — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:41:56 +0000

French cuisine with a splash of modern flavours. Very small restaurant, elegant and artistic environment, warm and friendly staff.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Assaporare

Egle — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:24:51 +0000

A small Italian gourmet restaurant. Owned by a very friendly family who took a great deal of time to explain the food and wines with great detail. Very caring and cosy atmosphere. Food was delicious!

Address: 7 rue St. Nicolas 75012 Paris

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Colors of Autumn

Egle — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:39:17 +0000

1. The train between the islands 2008, 100×160 cm, oil, canvas. Lithuanian artist Vytautas Laisonas.
2. Fragment. Copper, 24 ct gold, 12 ct white gold. Length 57cm. British ceramist Claire Malet.
3. n/a
4. Extra Large sunburst lamp and Large stormy lamp. XL 54×20cm | L 48×16cm | S 30×16cm. British ceramist Liz Emtage.
5. Earrings. 18 carat white gold earrings with 22ct gold overlay. British ceramist Will Evans.
6. Sculpture. Bronze (27 x 13 x 15). French ceramist Hélène Saïnz.
7. Increase 2005. 2 Face Series 24cm H. British ceramist Matthew Chambers.
8. Wallboard. 55 cm x 35 cm. French sculptor and painter Jean-Jacques Dalmais.
9. Italian restaurant’s Assaporare business card.
10. Central picture – Paris, France – (c) Karalyte.com

Serge Lutens

Egle — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:11:53 +0000

I think that what may be art in the hands of an artist is no longer art after being reviewed and corrected. When I say, “correct”, I mean it in the way that we might correct a child in order to coerce him to behave as we want: “Stop thinking about your aspirations for creating a perfume; sell your perfumes and keep quiet!” Any creation which may one day be considered a luxury can be interpreted initially as a reproach, borne of a world that resists change out of a desire for self-preservation. Nothing is more tenacious than mediocrity and so again I would note the refrain of many parents vis-à-vis their adolescents: “He is capable of everything! – Serge Lutens

Solid, seductive, constructive, destructive, Jean Cockteau, Kandinsky, fluid, Japan, egzotic, cubism, gentle, sharp, secretive, avant-garde. This is how Serge Lutens – is a french perfume couturier, filmmaker, photographer, and designer – feels for me.

Rendez-vous Chez Aušra Čapskytė

Egle — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:37:52 +0000

Visiting the studio of the Lithuanian graphic artist Ausra Capskyte in Vilnius, Lithuania.

For more photos, please browse the album.

Ausra’s Artwork

Click on the individual image to view its enlarged version.

A Yellow City III, 2007
In exhibition until end of April, 2009.
Mixed media: water colours, acrylic, ink, highlighter, etc.
80×55cm (w/o frame); 106×80cm (w/ frame)

A BlueCity, 2007
Mixed media: water colours, acrylic, ink, highlighter, etc.
32×30cm (w/o frame); 53×50cm (w/ frame).

A Long Journey, 2008
In exhibition until end of April, 2009.
Mixed media: water colours, acrylic, ink, highlighter, etc.
87×65 (w/o frame); 115×84cm (w/ frame).

A Golden Fox, 2008
In exhibition until end of April, 2009.
Mixed media: water colours, acrylic, ink, highlighter, etc.
140×110cm (w/ frame).
Enquire.

A Giraffe’s Journey II, 2006
Mixed media: water colours, acrylic, ink, highlighter, etc.
24×24 (w/o frame); 58×58cm (w/ frame).

A Blue Table, 2002
Mixed media: water colours, acrylic, ink, highlighter, etc.
25×46cm (w/ frame).

A Purple Table, 2008
Mixed media: water colours, acrylic, ink, highlighter, etc.
30×45cm (w/o frame); 54×70cm (w/ frame).

A Shell Tower, 2008
Mixed media: water colours, acrylic, ink, highlighter, etc.
42×30cm (w/o frame); 72×60cm (w/ frame).

A Sleeping One, 2008
Mixed media: water colours, acrylic, ink, highlighter, etc.
33×44cm (w/o frame).

If you are interested to buy Ausra’s work, please get in touch.

Photos Copyright (c) Egle Karalyte @ Karalyte.com. Don’t use them without asking!

Karalyte.com

Vytautas Laisonas

Explore Further

Peter Lindbergh

Explore Further

Morning Inspirations

merci

The Icicle

Le Cotte Roti

Assaporare

The Colors of Autumn

Serge Lutens

More Stories

Rendez-vous Chez Aušra Čapskytė

Ausra’s Artwork