2008 Woodie Awards
Latvian artists embrace freedom
Communique Staff
Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: A&E
The walls of Kirkwood Community College's Iowa Hall hold artwork that would not have made its way to a Latvian gallery, let alone to the United States 15 years ago.
Fifteen years ago, under a strict Soviet regime that prohibited free speech and freedom of expression, the pieces of social criticism making up the Latvian exhibit would have had an artist facing government persecution or imprisonment.
"Latvian culture has definitely changed," said Liva Ulmane, one of the artists whose work is featured in the exhibit. "Twenty years ago we only listened and obeyed. We've [recently] become masters of our fate."
Since the fall of the Soviet regime in 1991, new government direction and technology have paved the way for a greater freedom of expression in Latvia (located south of Estonia, bordering Russia's western front). "The Internet and computers are really opening things up," said Robert Butler, curator of the Latvian Artist Exhibit.
One aspect of Latvia's culture that has particularly grown in a more open and liberated country is the art world, particularly among young artists. "[Artistic culture] is more creative, innovative. I'm quite happy that new artists are trying to use all means for communicating their ideas, that they are proactive," said Ulmane.
One piece in Kirkwood's Latvian Artist Exhibit stands out in many peoples' minds as an example of the new generation of Latvian artists willing to take risks in their artwork. "There's a huge painting in the exhibition called 'War' that would have been unacceptable to the Soviets," said Department Coordinator of Arts and Humanities Kayt Conrad. "Under the old regime, it would have been OK to paint it but not to display it. The artist's life would have been made miserable."
"War," the largest piece in the exhibit, depicts a mob of bloodied, naked people. "When I saw ['War'] I was taken aback by it," said Kirkwood Community student, Autumn Peck.
Kirkwood's Latvian exhibition has been drawing attention not just among Kirkwood students but also among Latvians living across the country. "A lot of ethnic Latvians who left before 1991 weren't in their homeland to witness the social changes take place in their country and are starved for a connection to Latvia. One Iowa City woman at the reception came because her cousin in Maine read about the exhibition somewhere and told her she had to go see it," said Conrad.
"I think nearly every Latvian in Iowa was at the reception," said Conrad.
Students interested in seeing the exhibit have five days left to stop by Iowa Hall before it travels to its next stop, Iowa City.
Fifteen years ago, under a strict Soviet regime that prohibited free speech and freedom of expression, the pieces of social criticism making up the Latvian exhibit would have had an artist facing government persecution or imprisonment.
"Latvian culture has definitely changed," said Liva Ulmane, one of the artists whose work is featured in the exhibit. "Twenty years ago we only listened and obeyed. We've [recently] become masters of our fate."
Since the fall of the Soviet regime in 1991, new government direction and technology have paved the way for a greater freedom of expression in Latvia (located south of Estonia, bordering Russia's western front). "The Internet and computers are really opening things up," said Robert Butler, curator of the Latvian Artist Exhibit.
One aspect of Latvia's culture that has particularly grown in a more open and liberated country is the art world, particularly among young artists. "[Artistic culture] is more creative, innovative. I'm quite happy that new artists are trying to use all means for communicating their ideas, that they are proactive," said Ulmane.
One piece in Kirkwood's Latvian Artist Exhibit stands out in many peoples' minds as an example of the new generation of Latvian artists willing to take risks in their artwork. "There's a huge painting in the exhibition called 'War' that would have been unacceptable to the Soviets," said Department Coordinator of Arts and Humanities Kayt Conrad. "Under the old regime, it would have been OK to paint it but not to display it. The artist's life would have been made miserable."
"War," the largest piece in the exhibit, depicts a mob of bloodied, naked people. "When I saw ['War'] I was taken aback by it," said Kirkwood Community student, Autumn Peck.
Kirkwood's Latvian exhibition has been drawing attention not just among Kirkwood students but also among Latvians living across the country. "A lot of ethnic Latvians who left before 1991 weren't in their homeland to witness the social changes take place in their country and are starved for a connection to Latvia. One Iowa City woman at the reception came because her cousin in Maine read about the exhibition somewhere and told her she had to go see it," said Conrad.
"I think nearly every Latvian in Iowa was at the reception," said Conrad.
Students interested in seeing the exhibit have five days left to stop by Iowa Hall before it travels to its next stop, Iowa City.