M.S.
20/05 – 12/06/2015
One of the earliest attempts of Latvian abstract art could be the painting which was initially intended as a parody – in 1920 a group of academically oriented artists collectively (while pretending to be one person – Reinholds Kasparsons) created “bumbist” paintings with which they hoped to uncover the flop of modernism. It was a “bumbist” painting, created by Jānis Roberts Tilbergs, that encouraged M.S. to commit to art. On idle evenings he thought about what he’s seen while drawing lines and mixing colours in his mind.
On May 20th 2015 gallery 427 opened M.S.’s monograph where finally there’s a collection of everything that’s known about this unknown artist. The monograph introduces M.S.’s creative search that have been created in unknown time period and explores various mediums and themes. The artist felt enthusiasm for drawings, colours and text. His works have never been shown publicly. Luckily over the years most of M.S.’s work has traveled to artist’s friends and associates. The monograph has been supported by people who shared M.S.’s work from their collections: Joey Villemont, Ēriks Apaļsais, Mikko Kuorinki, Inga Meldere, Sebastian Rozenberg, Zoë Paul, Edgars Gluhovs, OAOA, Carl Palm, Nicholas Riis, Alex Turgeon, Jade Fourès-Varnier & Vincent de Hoÿm, Aditya Mandayam & Ada Pola (Brud), Carl Palm, Amanda Ziemele, Evita Vasiļjeva, Neil Haas, Daria Melnikova, Marius Lut, Maija Kurševa, Robin von Einsiedel, Zīle Ziemele.
The publication is supplemented with texts by Jānis Taurens, Vasīlijs Voronovs, Virginija Januškevičiūtė, Valentinas Klimašauskas.
M.S. is born in 80’s, he studied at O. Kalpaks Riga Folk Art Primary School and Riga School of Design and Art, however he didn’t pursue art in the university. M.S. spends his days building practical constructions and is a devoted American football player.
Photos: Raul Paul