Visvaldis Ziediņš un viņa mākslas Objet Trouve virziens
Visvaldis Ziediņš and the Objet Trouve Trend in his Art

Summary/Abstract: In January 2009, a surprising number of artworks or, as the artist called them, “art-makings” – drawings, paintings and objects – were found in Visvaldis Ziediņš’ house. 1185 items were listed in Ziediņš’ art collection during work on this article. Information is still being gathered on the collection and the article is just the beginning of this research process. Visvaldis Ziediņš was born on 4 April 1942 and died on 11 January 2007 in Liepāja. From 1959 to 1964 he studied at the Interior Design Department of the Liepāja Secondary School of Applied Arts and his diploma work “Political, religious and school exhibition poster” was ranked as excellent. After graduation he enrolled as a painter at a motor transport depot but later started to work as artist-decorator at the “Kurzeme” department store in Liepāja. The “Kurzeme” store and later the Liepāja Latvian Society house were his main places of work. In both positions he worked in his speciality while at the same time creating decorations for town festivities and stage designs for the Liepāja State Theatre and the Liepāja People’s Theatre. In his spare time he created surprising “art-makings”. Apart from participation in Liepāja artists’ group exhibitions, Ziediņš had three solo shows during his lifetime which were held in Liepāja in 1968, 1986 and 1992.Considering Ziediņš’ heritage from the historical viewpoint, his most active and interesting period coincides the gloomy Soviet time. However, the historical excursus should begin with the gains during the “thaw” when the partial relaxation of the political regime also brought changes to culture. “Legitimate” contacts with the rest of the world are resumed in this period. Up till now Zenta Logina, Lidija Auza and Ojārs Ābols were credited with being the first Latvian artists to complement their works with sand, metal slivers, glass shards and everyday objects or their fragments since the mid-1960s. Now Ziediņš has to be added to this list as he had already started to form spatial compositions involving cement and lime mortar and everyday items in the early 1960s. Ziediņš’ diaries reveal that he studied the works of both the modernist classicists and Latvian masters. As a more detailed analysis of Ziediņš’ art deserves a monographic study, this article deals only with one trend related to the term “objet trouvé”; others yet to be researched include Pop Art, Op Art, kinetic art and conceptual works. Ziediņš’ interest in objet trouvé can be seen from the early 1960s. The first works were made on a plane surface, integrating found metal fragments that were later processed. In the mid-1960s Ziediņš began also include details of technical and household equipment (electric lamp stand, tennis racket, metal profiles, electrical circuit boards, used batteries). All this looking for additional art materials points towards a search for a new imagery.

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