Nonconformist creative work of Vincas Kisarauskas

Publikacijoje nagrinėjama Vinco Kisarausko kūryba ir kai kurie dailininko gyvenimo faktai, svarbūs siekiant permąstyti Lietuvos sovietmečio istoriografijoje vyraujančią šio dailininko kūrybos, kaip nonkonformistinės, interpretaciją, pagal kurią, atskaitos taškais pasirinkus ekspresionistinę raišką, dailininko kūriniai traktuojami kaip pasipriešinimas sovietų režimui ir socialistiniam realizmui. Siekiama atsakyti į klausimą, kodėl dailininko kūryba, potencialiai galėjusi keisti to laiko meninį mąstymą, nedarė didesnio poveikio nei jo amžininkams, nei jaunesnei dailininkų kartai. Straipsnyje nonkonformistinė V. Kisarausko pozicija susiejama su jo biografijos faktais, su konceptualiu mąstymu, kurio apraiškos išryškėja autoriaus tapyboje, knygose ir kt. Šia kūryba dailininkas orientavosi į Vakarų dailės kontekstą. Teigiama, kad ta V. Kisarausko kūrybos dalis, kuri galėjo provokuoti žiūrovą keisti mąstymą bei matymą, kuri galėjo daryti įtaką Lietuvos modernistinės dailės raidai, veikiant vidiniams dailininko savicenzūros mechanizmams nebuvo viešinama ir neperžengė jo dirbtuvės slenksčio. Dėl šios priežasties pažangios V. Kisarausko idėjos, turėjusios potencijos pakeisti ano laikmečio kultūrinėje terpėse vyravusį meninį mąstymą ir estetinį skonį, dailininko gyvenamuoju laikotarpiu šios misijos neatliko.On the 28th of April - the 14th of June 2015, exhibition ‘A Retrospective of Vincas Kisarauskas Work (1938-1988). Greetings to the Time’ was displayed in the National Gallery of Art (branch of the Lithuanian Art Museum). Preparing the exhibition widely known artist s creative legacy was revised. Special attention was drawn to the creative works that were not seen in public while artist was alive, even though it embodies conceptual thinking transcending the period, and would have been able to change artistic thinking of the era and the development of Lithuanian modernism. This publication attempts to ascertain what were the reasons Kisarauskas’ ideas had not influenced the art, younger generation artists and development of modernism in general. The article attempts to reject the prevailing discourse of non-conformism in the Soviet Lithuanian studies, in which creative work of Kisarauskas was perceived and valued as a resistance to the Soviet regime and social realism in Soviet Lithuania. Reconsidering the artist s biographical facts is the main objective of this publication. After Lithuania gained independence, the only reference points for a non-conformism discourse was Julius Janonis illustrated book for children ‘Poklius lurking every day’ (1960) and his first solo exhibition held in LSSR Writers’ Union Club in 1962. This article draws attention to the fact that V. Kisarauskas stylistic choice in early creative work did not exceed the formal stylistic canons of art and ‘fitted’ into the Soviet tolerated modernism frames. By that it was sought to modernize (social) realism. Hence, it is incorrect emphasize the expressionist creative concept as the author’s manifestation of a non-conformist position. Therefore, examples of his non-conformist activities are elsewhere. Nevertheless, V. Kisarauskas had a critacal position towards political ideology, which is evident from his biography: relations with intelectuals returned from the Soviet camps, deportations to Siberia and executions of the family members, as well as the artist’s participation in the political protest, anti-Soviet campaigns. Another example of V. Kisarauskas non-conformist position - he initiated sending ex-librises of Lithuanian artists to international exhibtions bypassing the control of Moscow. V. Kisarauskas fostered a historical consciousness, was in a side of resistance to the Soviet falsification of the old and the 20th c. history of Lithuania, for him it was important to preserve the Lithuanian national identity. However, such artworks (mostly graphic technique) remained hidden in the artist’s workshop during all Soviet era - it could be said artist’s self-censorship mechanism was always on. Even in the beginning of his creative work V. Kisarauskas deliberately made a divide between the public and private collections. During Soviet times, the artwork, which could affect the viewer’s mind, which was about to destroy the boundary between art and life, insinuated that things really are not like we see, were not pulled out into daylight. After 1965, Kisarauskas strived to demonstrate the internal structure of the image and use visionary forms. [...