This book illustrates the oeuvre of the unique artist Gintautas Gavenavičius (1960–2004), who was until his untimely death, according to Valentinas Antanavičius, probably the only artist in the world to have created original sculptures from unbroken flax for two decades. He was known by the sobriquet of a contemporary dievdirbys (an old folk master), and his flax sculptures were called dvasiukai (small spirits).
The artist once remarked: “I like being called the master of flax sculpture because a master is a man who has mastered a craft and this is the essence of life”. In this book, both art critics and artists who knew Gavenavičius reminisce about their colleague, while some of his poems which remained unacknowledged by his contemporaries are also included.
Written within a curatorial practice and post-doctoral fellowship, it opens up perspectives of artistic research for artists, curators, researchers in the social sciences and humanities, and wider audiences.
This book is about the power of photography and the network it formed in everyday life and art of Lithuania in 1969–1989.