EGMONTAS BŽESKAS ABOUT HYBRID ART
The graphic art of Egmontas Bzeskas is an example of an entirely different kind of symbolic art. His large format canvases (the biggest is 14 m) give room for exploration with space, the objects within the paintings fighting to find room in Bzeskas’s creative usage of the surface. The laconic structure and suggestiveness are reminiscent of enormous witty poster design: they parade varied logotype, clean and clear drawing and are informative, full of optimism. They actively signal the viewer of the intended meaning and energetically embrace the surroundings of the piece.
EB’s graphic designs confine themselves within a genderless space, playing with what symbol and image really means. His favorite images are the human pictogram and the spiral. Within the works, both of these images obviously ignore their historical origin, craving to be something akin to an animated cartoon. The artist willingly helps them into this space, giving them the opportunity to be reincarnated, to be elastic and fluid. The human becomes a spiral, the spiral becomes a snail, the snail becomes a human, the human becomes a labyrinth, the labyrinth becomes a stone, and so on. Each easily adapts itself into its new role and, “while every moment feeling the joy of existing”, they reveal themselves with a frantic temperament. This phrase, borrowed from the philosopher Camus, does not seem out of place within the context of EB’s animated personages, and especially the artist’s personal interest of playing with Sisyphus and his rock.
The artist plays with other bodily metamorphoses as well. Often in his works appear strange creatures, constructed from several recognizable organs. EB’s work looks almost superstitious in the way of emphasizing the most important places of the body, and yet the scale and values are changed: mouths and legs prevail. Reverse motion is seen in the plasticity of these surreal neologisms: it is not the sign that turns into a living human form, but rather the reduced anthropomorphic form that turns into a sign that maintains their distinguishing characteristics.
To find one’s place in EB’s scale of values is rather difficult. Despite his inspiration from Camus, the artist does not burden himself with existential thought – the drama of Sisyphus impresses him only in it’s aspects of absurdity. EB’s infantile characters are content with their present state of being despite their sometimes cheerless appearances. The artist revels in the irrationality of his creatures, and sees it as an opportunity to open an “energy channel”. The centrifugal force of a compressed spiral serves this idea wel – the different manipulations of EB’s well liked spiral appearing in various diverse and dynamic ways. And, of course, the use of harsh colors, creating a relationship with the starck black creates an image full of conflict.
The woodcuts by EB, pressed onto large canvases, are closer to the traditional world of fine art, but don’t necessarily stray from his closeness to graphic design. Here not only are the blacks valued and varied, but the rough cloth is also taken into consideration. He creates relationships between common outlines and inner sections of color, texture of uncoordinated strokes, usage of dotted lines. These techniques do not lack subtlety, and yet they don’t impose on the professionalism of the piece – on the contrary, they make an impression of loose, caricatured, almost childishly naive drawing. Their simplicity and careless movement are not marked by this naivety, and the works of EB stand out with their strong dominance and suggestiveness.
Today, the artist’s work can be summarized as a “new generation of hybrid graphics”. 20 years ago, EB’s enormous large woodcuts were printed on canvas and awarded the award for largest printmaking work in Lithuania, freeing the printmaking standards of small formats and framing, and bringing the medium closer to painting standards. This graphic form of art was not only surprisingly distinctive for its time, but also inspired the3 work of many young graphic artists, changing the traditional dimensions of graphic art of that time.
EB did not stop at woodcuts and printmaking – now his works include the latest of electronic technologies, various building materials, silicones and plastic, LED lighting systems, sound effects and touch functions, allowing the viewer to engage in conversation with the paintings themselves. There are elements now of using shadows of the viewer, integrating fragments of classical wood engravings into new ideas and uses. He has elevated his carving and mouldings with modern machinery and robotics. His paintings have added dimension of protruding 3D printed parts. QR codes can also be seen in EB’s current works, giving the viewer access to a deeper layer of the artworks. All these elements reinforce and complement the ideas behind the works and the themes conveyed, and have a significant effect on the viewer.
“ Art is a game. It is each of your journeys through the labyrinth of my paintings. It is a performance with all its inherent elements, physically squeezed between four sides, but unrestricted to expand in an infinite amount of direction. Let’s play together… “ -EB
EGMONTAS BŽESKAS BIO
Born in 1974, Kaunas
STUDIES:
1981-1992
• Secondary school, Kaunas
1992
• Graduated from Kaunas School of Art
1992-1998
• Vilnius Academy of Arts, Department of Graphic Arts
1996
Graduated Vilnius Academy of Arts Bachelor of Arts degree diploma
1998
Graduated from Vilnius Academy of Arts with a Master of Arts degree
PERSONAL EXHIBITIONS:
1996
• “Academia” Gallery (together with Martynas Meškauskas), Vilnius
1997
• “Academia” Gallery, Vilnius
1998
• Vilnius Graphic Centre, “Left-Right” Gallery, Vilnius
• Municipal Exhibition Hall , Telšiai
1999
• M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum, Picture Gallery, Kaunas
• Atelier Klasen, Vastervik (Sweden)
• German Embassy in Lithuania, Vilnius
• Samogitian Art Museum, Plungė
• Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
• Konst & designgalleriet , Nacka, Stockholm
• TAIEX Office, Brussels
2001
• “The Red World” together with Body Painting Performance, Savickas Picture Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania
2003
• “International Art Festival”, Menden, Germany
GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
1997
• Vilnius Graphic Centre, Gallery “Left-Right”, Vilnius
• I Erotic Art Exhibition, Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
1998
• II Erotic Art Exhibition, Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
• II International Graphic Triennial, Inter-Contact-Graphic, Prague’98
• XI Tallinn International Graphic Art Triennial, Tallinn
• III International Biennial of Small Graphic Arts, Vilnius’98
• Lithuanian Art Exhibition “9+9”, Town Hall, Aachen, (Germany)
• Exhibition of Christmas Miniatures, Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
• Vilnius Graphic Centre, “Left-Right” Gallery, Exhibition “Adventure”, Vilnius
1999
• IX International Biennial of Graphic Arts. Espace Champ de Foiret, Sarcelles (France)
• Educational exhibition “From Cliché to Print”, Akademija Gallery, Vilnius
• Samogitian Museum “Alka”, Telšiai; “Aušra” Museum, Šiauliai, Samogitian Art Museum, Plungė
• Gallery “Vartai” is eight years old. Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
• International Art Salon “Moscow 99”, Moscow
• III Erotic Art Exhibition, Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
• “Without Shadows” Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
• Great North Rhine-Westphalian Art Exhibition, Düsseldorf (Germany)
• X International Graphic Biennial, Varna’99, Varna (Bulgaria)
• “Graphic Art’99”, Vilnius Graphic Centre, Gallery “Left-Right”, Vilnius
• “The Beginning of the End” , Gallery “Baroti” and Klaipėda Art Exhibition Hall, Klaipėda
2000
• “Gallery “Vartai” is nine years old”, Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
• V Sapporo International Graphic Biennale, Sapporo (Japan)
• Exhibition of works from the International Artists’ Camp at Vilkėnai Mill, Gallery “Baroti”, Klaipėda
• Tradition and future. Review exhibition of fine and applied art 1997 – 2000, Contemporary Art Centre
• International Biennial of Graphic Arts of the Baltic Countries, “Kaliningrad-Keninzberg 2000”
2001
• X International Biennial of Graphic Arts. Espace Champ de Foiret, Sarcelles (France)
• Polish Cultural Centre, “Without Shadows” Stockholm
• “Gallery “Vartai” is 10 years old”, Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
• European Parliament, ”Without Shadows” , Brussels
• Gallery “ArTyp”, ”Without Shadows”, Briuselis
• Project – Exhibition, “Floors, walls, ceilings”. Gallery “Vartai”, Vilnius
• “Lithuanian Art” presented by Gallery “Vartai”, in association with Gallery Gildenburg, Petesburg, UK
• Lithuanian Art is presented by Gallery “Vartai”, in association with David S. Gordon & Margaret M. Gordon Gallery, London, UK
• “Erotic Photography through the Eyes of Artists”, presented by Gallery “Vartai”, together with Nitra gallery, Slovakia
• “Erotic Photography through the Eyes of Artists”, presented by Gallery “Vartai”, together with Gallery Town gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia
• “Euroropean Perspectives”, Art fair, Gallery “Vartai”, Innsbruck, Austria
• Gallery “Vartai” exhibition, South German House, Brussels, Belgium
• Lithuanian Art, Gallery “Vartai”, David S. Gordon & Margaret M. Gorgon Gallery, London, England
• “Fashion Infection”, Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
• “Lineart Gent 2001”, Gallery “Vartai”, Ghent, Belgium
2002
• “Re/form”, Contemporary Lithuanian Art. Gallery “Vartai”, United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland
2003
• “Art ejection” Kaunas, Lithuania
• Vilnius Days in Moscow”, Lithuanian Art Exhibition. Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow, Russia
2020
• ARTVILNIUS’20 | Litexpo.lt
2021
• ARTVILNIUS’21 | Litexpo.lt
2022
•ART BASEL – VOLTA , Switzerland
• ARTVILNIUS’22 | Litexpo.lt
PERFORMANCES – PERFORMANCES:
1999
• “Bodypainting performance“ at the German Residence in Turniškės, Vilnius
2000
• “Bodypainting performance“, International Youth Theatre Festival – “INSTANT ACTS” , Berlin, Germany
2001
• International Dance Festival “Dance Printing House” with J. Veličkaitė body – art and modern dance performance, Vilnius
• International Dance Festival “Dance Printing House”, modern dance performance “Match with the Earth’s Gravity”, Vilnius
• VI International Contemporary Dance Festival “Dance Evenings”, modern dance performance “Match with the Earth’s Gravity”, Contemporary Dance Information Centre, Lithuania.
• Modern dance performance with live jazz music “Different Colours”, “Savickai Picture Gallery”, Lithuania, Palanga
• Modern dance performance with live jazz music ” Different Colours “, “Savickai Picture Gallery”, Lithuania, Vilnius
• Modern dance performance “Match with the Earth’s Gravity”, Vilnius University Theatre, Lithuania, Vilnius
• Modern dance performance “Match with the Earth’s Gravity”, UNIDRAM Theatre Festival, Germany, Berlin
2002
• Modern dance performance “Match with the Earth’s Gravity”, “OFF BEATS” Theatre Festival, Germany, Berlin
2003
• Performance “Tabula Rasa”, “OFF BEATS” Theatre Festival, Germany, Berlin
AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS:
1998
• Diploma of “Factum” Agency and the Lithuanian Book of Records for the largest graphic work “Labyrinth” (311 x 449 cm)
1999
• State Scholarship of the Republic of Lithuania for young artists
WORKSHOPS:
1999
• Atelje Klasen, Vastervik (Sweden)
1999
• The Frans Masereel Center, Kasterlee (Belgium)
2000
• International Art Camp at Vilkėnai Mill, Švėkšna, (Lithuania)
2000
• The Frans Masereel Center, Kasterlee (Belgium)
MEMBERSHIPS:
1999
• International Centre for Graphic Arts Grafikens Hus, Mariefred (Sweden)
1999
• Member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Union
2000
• The Frans Masereel Center, Kasterlee (Belgium)
COLLECTIONS:
2003
• Lithuanian Museum of Art
2020
• MO museum (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Vilnius)
2021
• MO museum (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Vilnius)
AGENCIES OF CREATIVITY
2003
• Creating advertising solutions. Advertising agency “Garage 4×4”
• „Mediahuse“ creativity consultant
• Director of Creativity. Advertising agency “Exto Marketing”
2004
• Director of Creativity. Advertising agency “Exto Marketing”
DESIGN, OTHER ACTIVITIES
2003
• Director and scenographer of the LTV show “A WORD, PLEASE”
2004
• Founder and Director of “TV TEAM” VŠĮ
• Director and scenographer of the LTV show ” LOOKING FOR A JOB “
2005
• Director of the BTV show “WHAT IF”
• Producer, director and scenographer of the BTV show “ASK”
• Producer, director and scenographer of the BTV show “BEN‘S DOG”
• Producer, director, scenographer, producer of the BTV show “THE FOURTH ESTATE”
• Producer, director, scenographer of the 5 KANALAS show “KARAOKE”
• Scenographer, lighting designer of the TV3 show “THE SKY”
2008
• Scenographer of the LTV show “PEKIN‘S STUDIO”
• Scenographer of the LTV show “EDITORSHIP”
• Scenographer of the LTV show “VERSIONS”
• Scenographer of the LTV show “THE RIGHT TO KNOW”
• Scenographer of the LTV show “NPT”
• Scenographer of the LTV show “CULTURE”
• Scenographer of the LTV 2 show ” SOUNDS OF THE CLASSICS “
• Scenographer of the LTV show “LITHUANIAN VOICES”
• Scenographer of the LTV Award Ceremony ” MORE SUN MORE LIGHT“
• Scenographer of the LTV show “SONG OF SONGS”
• Scenographer of the LTV show ” CHILDREN OF THE MILLENNIUM”
• Scenographer of the LTV information shows
2009
• Scenographer of the TV3 show ” PANORAMA STUDIO “
• Scenographer of the “TV3 OPENING OF THE SEASON”
• Scenographer of the TV3 entertainment show “THESPELL OF ROSES”
• Scenographer of the TV3 entertainment show “THE MUSICAL CAROUSEL “
• Scenographer of the “TV3 FULFILLMENT PROMOTION”
• Scenographer of the “TV3 WOMAN AWARDS “
• Scenography project “TV3 LITHUANIA‘S GOT TALENT”
• Host of the LTV culture “ARTOTLON”
• Scenographer of the LNK concert “ANNIVERSARY EVENGING ON I. STAROŠAITĖ”
2011
• Producer, scenographer of the BTV show “Friday Fiesta”
• Producer, director, scenographer of LRT children’s talent contest “Wunderkinds”
• Producer, scenographer of the LRT show “In the middle of Europe”
• Producer, scenographer of the LRT show “Eurovision Song Contest”
• Producer of Rock Opera “Notre-Dame de Paris”. Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture of Azarbaijan. Baku
• Producer, director, scenographer of the World Forum Intercultural Dialogue, performance „The wind“. Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture of Azarbaijan. Baku
2012
• Producer, director, scenographer of LRT children’s talent contest “Wunderkinds”
• Producer and scenographer of the LRT show “In the middle of Europe”
• LRT’s new style – the creation of vignettes.
2013
• Producer, director and scenographer of the social project, performance “Bright Life”. Commissioned by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azarbaijan. Baku
2014
• Founder and director of SL “YOU AND THE FUTURE” (in the Events area) Canary Islands.
2017
• Scenographer of the LRT information shows
• Author, director and producer of LRT’s vignettes
• Author, director and producer of the vignette idea in the LRT all channels group’s new style
• General style maintenance, consultancy of the LRT all channel group
2018
• Director and producer of the LRT initiative, the documentary film series “I raise the flag”
• General style maintenance, consultancy of the LRT all channel group
• Scenographer of the 15Min information shows
2019
• Executive Producer of the LNK Reality Show “The Island” in the Canary Islands, author of the partial script
• Producer and editing director of the LNK show “Catch time”
2020
• Scenographer of the LRT show “Cooked by children”
• Scenographer of the Alfa channel information shows
• Consultant for information shows of “Lietuvos rytas”
WORK RELATIONS FROM
2004
• TV KOMANDA Owner ( Lithuania company)
2015
• YOU AND THE FUTURE Owner ( Spain company )
2021
• TWAIN SPORT Art director ( International product )
