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Stasys: an escape from the box
In his recently published essay 'LA dictadura de to secundario' (El Pais, August 14, 1994) Günter Grass points out one very impprtant problem in the world of contemporary art. He says that the secondary overshadows the original. He states that the whole system of art promotion in the modern world implicates disregard for creative, original works, which are replaced by the faceless pulp of art criticism, group 'displays, catalogues and other works in which the original creation is manipulated and converted into a mere pale reflection of its form. One might ask if creative artists try to defend themselves against this kind of belittlement. Speaking from my own experience. I would say that they seem to use two different methods of defense. They either "go underground," i.e. withdraw and completely ignore official artistic life. Or else they accelerate their development, changing their personalities, styles and media so that the critics cannot keepy up with them or write anything coherent. It seems to me that Stasys Eidrigevicius has chosen the latter as a way of dealing with the outside world. He has done so probably because he has already experienced the "underground" phase in his life. He lived unnoticed for many years, somewhere on the 'peripheries of artistic life (both literally and metaphysically speaking). So, when he was discovered and became known to the art world, he chose the other system of defense in order to protect his integrity and individuality. During the last few years, the artist has covered a tot of ground. He has undergone successful transformations from book illustrator to miniature painter (gouache) to sculptor (works in wood were displayed in 1992 at Warsaw Studio Gallery and his recent design for a metal sculpture.
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Jacek Szelegejd