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LITUANUS
LITHUANIAN QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Volume 49, No.2 - Summer 2003
Editor of this issue: Violeta Kelertas ISSN 0024-5089 Copyright © 2003 LITUANUS Foundation, Inc. |
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LITHUANIAN ANGELS:
Woodcarvings from a Digital Perspective
ALGIMANTAS KEZYS
Ancient Lithuanian iconography about angels (and devils, for that matter) had
its roots in folklore, fairy tales, and superstitious beliefs. After the advent
of Christianity, the emphasis shifted to the angelology found in Scriptures -
both the Old and the New Testaments. The scriptural narratives produced endless
interpretations of the nature and functions of angelic spirits that are with us
to this day. During the course of history, portrayals of these spiritual beings
found ample expression in ecclesiastic architecture, Sunday sermons, private
devotions, folklore, and works of art. Needless to say, an infinite variety of
ideas has been produced in individual interpretations as well as in scholarly
expositions and in local ethnographic presentations. As an example of the
contributions made by Lithuanian artists and artisans, we are offering here the
works of two woodcarvers
Raminta Rimantė Butkuvė and Vaida
Juozapaitytė, both avid believers in the existence of heavenly guardians of the
human race and devoted carvers of angelic figurines based on their own
understanding of angelic nature. Both are folk artists of importance offering
for our viewing pleasure not just plain folk art figurines, - but also their
personal views about the theology on the subject of angels. The photographer who
took the pictures of their works also incorporated his own vision and digital
values into their imagery, making their statements more elaborate and, for
better or for worse, more complex.
The exhibition about Lithuanian Angels as presented by these three authors has been shown in March 2003 at the gallery of Lithuanian embassy in Berlin.
The Realm of Angels # 57
Rimantė Butkuvė, Algimantas Kezys
The Realm of Angels # 2
Butkuvė / Kezys
The Realm of Angels # 25
Butkuvė / Kezys
The Realm of Angels # 8
Juozapaitytė / Butkuvė / Kezys
The Realm of Angels # 69
Juozapaitytė / Kezys
The Realm of Angels # 35
Juozapaitytė / Kezys
The Realm of Angels # 55
Butkuvė / Kezys
The Realm of Angels # 39
Juozapaitytė / Butkuvė / Kezys