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“Nav nepieciešams iziet no istabas. Paliec pie sava galda un ieklausies. Pat neklausies, tikai gaidi. Pat negaidi, tikai klusē un esi viens pats. Pasaule tev piedāvāsies, nomezdama masku, viņa nespēj citādi, kā vien svētlaimē izvīties tavā priekšā."
Francs Kafka
Sit Silently portrays outskirts of Latvia as well as the outlying moments of its capital centre. It reflects on silence in its aspect of contemplation, introverted rest, unpretentious celebration of life. At the same time the silence emerges as manifestation of dealing with inner dramas via the resignation. To remain silent representing a detached monument of inner resentment still seems to be quite common ways for this (Post- Soviet) territory, at least, the route, often travelled by the author.
Images tend to touch those points where contemporary Europe meets different layers of the past (like Soviet and National Awakening period in Latvia) which conflict and complement each other at the same time. Pictures capture author's urge for a slower time zone, sense of home and creativity of daily routines beyond the usual urban experience. While admiring peripheral moments with their own significance, values and feeling, author seeks to localize her own identity or core.
This reminds of a passage from Franz Kafka: You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
Rudens diena
Vai atceries to rudenīgo dienu
Un mitro solu dārza lapenē,
Kad rudens salna apzeltīja zāli,
Tu manim lepni atbildēji «nē».
Un kad pēc gadiem restorāna zālē
Tur, augstu kalnos- svešā kūrortā,
No dzīves maldiem noguruši abi,
Mēs klausījāmies vēja koncertā.
Tu stāstīji, cik ātri paiet gadi,
Cik ātri dzīves glāzē izžūst vīns
Un cilvēks sava īsā mūža beigās
Ir atstāts vientuļš bēdu tuksnesī
Es gribu brīva būt kā jūras kaija,
Un tālu, tālu prom no tevis steigt
Kā kaija krīt, pār jūru lidodama,
Tā miršu es, par mīlu smiedamās.
Bērnībā pirms iemigšanas, mamma man mēdza dziedāt sērīgas latviešu 'šlāgerdziesmas'. Atceros, kā iztēlē koši uzbūru dziesmu tēlus un noskaņu. Sērija 'Zilā istaba' ir personīgs vizuāls ceļojums mītiskajā zemapziņas telpā starp disociāciju un vienību, vēlmi tuvoties un atsvešinātību;
Do you remember cloudy day of autumn
that dampish bench at garden's small
alcove
While grass was slightly gilded by the first frost
You proudly answered me - no
And when years later in the foreign restaurant
at quiet resort up in the mountains high
wild concert of the wind we listened
both tired of the fallacy of life
You told me about rate the years are passing
the runners brake, wine dries out in a glass
And at the end of immensely short life
One's left alone in desert of the grief
I want to be a snow-white little sea gull
Thats running miles and miles away from you
Just as the gulls fall over the sea flying
Thats how I'll die, while laughing about love
/translation of a popular Latvian schlager
When I was a kid, my mother used to sing me mournful Latvian balads before the sleep. I remember depicturing all the images represented there. The blue room is my visual journey delving into the mytical space between dissociation and integrity, urge for intimacy and alienation.
Lubana is a small town in northern Latvia next to the biggest lake of the state. The Lubana Wetland is considered as the place in the territory of Latvia where the first inhabitants appeared. While nowaday youngsters are systematically leaving the town, older people, especially woman, seems to be the most active inhabitants of Lubana. Often tired from peculiar urge to deal with their partners infirmities, they try to enjoy and decorate their everyday life exchanging strenght with each other and the surrounding nature. I have been visiting this place every season for many years to take a distance from my scattered routine and connect to this bittersweet dance of magic and sorrow.
Most of the memories from the childhood are summertime memories. Summer in Latvia is the only season you can enjoy longer presence and warmth of the sun. It changes the common mood of people otherwise tense and secretive enough. It deepens your senses and fills your shoes with sand. Man at his 50ies can meet his spontanious inner child at the beach. Contiguity of the water is traditionally supposed to be a great relaxer. Besides the rivers and lakes in Latvia the sea shore reaches 500 km lenght and all of it is accesable.