Big A

Exhibited in 2015 at the international event ‘Sculpture by the Sea’ at Aarhus in Denmark, the sculpture bears a resemblance to a triangular A-shaped form that appeared in earlier work by Mindaugas Navakas (b. 1952) in 1977. However, in its previous manifestation, the form was cast in bronze by the artist himself and stood at 33 centimetres high. Transformed from an abstracted bronze piece into one crafted from granite, the sculpture unexpectedly not only gains weight and solidity, but also evokes associative imagery, transforming from the letter in its title to the likeness of a tent or a wigwam. Rising to three and a half metres in height, this ‘dwelling’ made from polished and rough-hewn granite pays homage to early human habitats and shelters. It serves as a simulation of a monumental, archaic dwelling, a pseudo-dwelling, but its substantiality, its scale, and its seamless integration into the environment, render it more convincing than reality itself. Navakas’ artistry lies in his ability to mimic objects by preserving their forms while altering their materials and situating them in the context of art history, resulting in pieces that are unique, raw and primitive, aptly dubbed Navakoids.* He is concerned with concepts of being and space as manifestations of non-being, as well as culture and the primal life force that connects us with the distant past, which is beyond visibility, but resonates with viewers on a tactile level through the medium of granite.

Text author Jurgita Ludavičienė

* The term was coined by the curator and art critic Raimundas Malašauskas.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album THE ART OF MATERIALS. Compiler and text author Jurgita Ludavičienė
Expositions: 2014. Mindaugas Navakas. Glory was at the fingertips. Lithuanian Art Museum. 2015. Sculpture by the Sea. Aarhus, Danija.
© VŠĮ „Lietuvos dailės fondas“

Exhibited in 2015 at the international event ‘Sculpture by the Sea’ at Aarhus in Denmark, the sculpture bears a resemblance to a triangular A-shaped form that appeared in earlier work by Mindaugas Navakas (b. 1952) in 1977. However, in its previous manifestation, the form was cast in bronze by the artist himself and stood at 33 centimetres high. Transformed from an abstracted bronze piece into one crafted from granite, the sculpture unexpectedly not only gains weight and solidity, but also evokes associative imagery, transforming from the letter in its title to the likeness of a tent or a wigwam. Rising to three and a half metres in height, this ‘dwelling’ made from polished and rough-hewn granite pays homage to early human habitats and shelters. It serves as a simulation of a monumental, archaic dwelling, a pseudo-dwelling, but its substantiality, its scale, and its seamless integration into the environment, render it more convincing than reality itself. Navakas’ artistry lies in his ability to mimic objects by preserving their forms while altering their materials and situating them in the context of art history, resulting in pieces that are unique, raw and primitive, aptly dubbed Navakoids.* He is concerned with concepts of being and space as manifestations of non-being, as well as culture and the primal life force that connects us with the distant past, which is beyond visibility, but resonates with viewers on a tactile level through the medium of granite.

Text author Jurgita Ludavičienė

* The term was coined by the curator and art critic Raimundas Malašauskas.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album THE ART OF MATERIALS. Compiler and text author Jurgita Ludavičienė
Expositions: 2014. Mindaugas Navakas. Glory was at the fingertips. Lithuanian Art Museum. 2015. Sculpture by the Sea. Aarhus, Danija.
© VŠĮ „Lietuvos dailės fondas“