Andris Vitolins, 1975

Andris Vītoliņš is a Latvian painter, Vice-Rector and Professor of the Art Academy of Latvia. Since 1996, the artist has been actively participating in exhibitions in Latvia and other European countries – Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria. The artist has long been interested in industrial themes in art: machines, various driving tools, mechanisms, factories and their parts – pipes, screws, taps, connections.

“The Flying Dutchman” (2019) is a large-format painting of three parts, which vividly represents the current artistic handwriting of Vītoliņš. The work combines dynamism and vibrant colour fluidity, while fusing technical precision and the author’s subjective view. In his work, the artist has abstracted from aestheticization, thus successfully structuring industrial elements and creating a single rhythm of the painting. The motif of the Flying Dutchman, chosen by Vītoliņš, permeates the history of world art and culture – starting with the premiere of Richard Wagner’s opera at the Dresden Opera House in 1843 and ending with the legendary photographer Man Ray’s work in the 20th century.