Pėdsakai molyje

LTVaclovas Miknevičius (1910-1989) yra vienas Lietuvos profesionaliosios keramikos pradininkų. Dailininkas visą gyvenimą buvo itin produktyvus, sukūrė daugybę serijinės gamybos etalonų, unikalių parodinių kūrinių, stambių monumentaliosios keramikos objektų. Menininkas buvo ir Lietuvos keramikos pramonės organizatorius, nenuilstantis išradėjas, nuolat tobulinęs keramikos gamybos procesus. Nemažai laiko jis skyrė ir edukacinei bei visuomeninei veiklai. Menotyrininkai V. Miknevičiaus kūrybą skiria į tris raidos etapus. Pirmojo etapo (1933-1958) dailininko darbuose ryškiausiai matoma lietuvių liaudies keramikos formų, tautinių ornamentų įtaka. Antrajame tarpsnyje (1958-1970) menininko vazoms, servizams būdingas modernus dizainas, saikingas, stilizuotas dekoras, išraiškingų faktūrų paieška. Nuo 1970 m. prasidėjo ir iki 1989 m. tęsėsi trečiasis etapas, kuomet autoriaus kūryboje įsivyravo monumentalūs architektūriniai ir skulptūriniai keramikos darbai. Monografijoje išsamiai pristatytos visos sritys, kuriose dailininkas kūrė. Tai įvairių rūšių keramikos objektai, akvarelė, gausūs kūrybinę virtuvę atspindintys eskizai. Rašant tekstą remtasi istoriniu, socialiniu kontekstu, interviu su menininko artimaisiais, atlikta kūrinių stilistinė, lyginamoji, technologinė analizė. V. Miknevičius gimė 1910 m. liepos 26 d. Zanėnų kaime, Molėtų krašte. Mokėsi netoliese esančio Piliakiemio kaimo pradžios mokykloje, lankė Giedraičių miestelio vidurinę mokyklą, buvusią už kelių kilometrų nuo gimtojo kaimo. Tuo metu čia dirbo žinomas dailininkas, lietuvių nacionalinės kultūros puoselėtojas Antanas Jaroševičius, mokiniams įskiepijęs meilę tautiniam paveldui, suteikęs jiems gerus akvarelės ir piešimo pradmenis, o gabesnius nukreipęs studijuoti dailę. A. Jaroševičiaus skatinamas 1930 m. V. Miknevičius tapo Kauno meno mokyklos studentu. [Iš teksto, p. 198]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Akvarelė; Atsiminimai; Iliustracijos; Keramika; Kūrybos etapai; Lietuvių keramika; Monumentalioji dailė; Stilius; Taikomoji dailė; Technika; Vaclovas Miknevičius; Applied arts; Ceramics; Creative stages; Illustrations; Lithuanian ceramics; Memories; Monumental arts; Style; Technique; Vaclovas Miknevičius; Watercolor.

ENVaclovas Miknevičius (1910-1989) is esteemed as one of the pioneers of the professional ceramic art in Lithuania. A prolific artist throughout his lifetime, he created numerous models for serial production, alongside with independent exhibition pieces and ceramic objects in monumental scale for indoor and outdoor spaces. He significantly contributed to the establishment of ceramic industry in Lithuania and as an inspired inventor promoted advanced and innovative methods of ceramic production. He also dedicated considerable time to art education and social outreach. The creative career of Miknevičius falls into three stages of development according to art researchers. They say his first stage (1933-1958) was under the strongest influence of Lithuanian folk pottery in terms of form and ornamentation. However, vases and tableware sets created from 1958 through 1970 show a modern-design-inspired style, more restrained and marked by stylized decor together with the search for expressive textures. During his last stage of creative work, from 1970 and until 1989, the artist turned to monumental-scale projects integrated into architecture as well as ceramic sculpture pieces. The monograph presents the work of the artist inclusively of all spheres of his contributions. These are all kinds of ceramic pieces, watercolours and his plentiful sketches that guide through the processes of creative work. The text maps out the historical and social context of his career, it is based on the interviews with the relatives of the artist. His works are analysed in stylistic, comparative and technological terms. Vaclovas Miknevičius was born on 26 July 1910 in the village of Zanėnai of the Molėtai district. He was schooled at a primary school in the neighbouring village of Piliakiemis, later, at a secondary school in the borough of Giedraičiai, within several kilometres from home.At the time one of the teachers of the school was Antanas Jaroševičius, an established painter and a fosterer of the Lithuanian national culture. The teacher instilled in his pupils a love for the national heritage and provided them with solid fundamentals in watercolour and drawing. He guided his talented pupils to study art. In 1930, encouraged by Jaroševičius, Miknevičius entered the Kaunas Art School. He spent his four initial years of study in the general department where he received instruction in different art disciplines taught by Adomas Varnas, Ignas Šlapelis, Adomas Galdikas, Vladimiras Dubeneckis and other prominent inter-war artists. During his first years, he excelled in watercolour, the medium he had tried his hand at already back at home. In Kaunas, he made exceptional progress in watercolour thanks to the lessons by Kajetonas Šklėrius. Even though the circumstances influenced a different young artist’s choice of his future specialty, he never stopped painting in watercolour. Upon his arrival in Kaunas, Miknevičius had to support himself, so he took a job with the Marginiai Company specializing in crafts from the very beginning of his studies. He had a penchant for crafts already as an adolescent and enjoyed his work for the Marginiai: he did designs for projects and decorated the work created by folk artists. He also made his own woodcarvings. In 1931, the Kaunas Art School opened a new ceramics studio. Notwithstanding different tensions encountered by the studio during its first year, Miknevičius felt attracted by ceramics from the very beginning. Even as a student of the general department, he spent plenty of time in that studio. In 1934, he graduated the general course and made his final choice to specialize in ceramics. The same year Liudvikas Strohs was appointed head of the studio. With his guidance, the young artist defended his graduation project in 1936.During his study years at the ceramics studio and throughout the 1930s, the artist’s style was largely an elaboration of the traditions of folk crafts. The artist created clay whistles popular in the Lithuanian countryside and decorative figurines. Yet vessels dominated the period. Tableware sets and vases created at the time were variations of Lithuanian traditional pottery. The decor borrowed patterns from Lithuanian dowry chests, such as motifs of the tree of life and flowers. These vessels show harmony of individual elements, professionalism and fine detail. As time went on, his pieces shifted towards stylistics of Art Deco - diagonal or curvy elements integrated into the handles and lids, decor schemes conceived in constructive shapes. After graduation from the Kaunas Art School and completion of the mandatory military service, the artist started showing his work in exhibitions abroad and in Lithuania. One of the major recognitions of his early work was the Gold Medal and a diploma awarded to his fourteen-piece tableware set featured by the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques in Paris in 1937. Thanks to his intense professional activity, in 1938, the young artist became a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Union. Around this time, the young artist also started a family: he met his future wife, physician Elena Zdanavičiūtė in 1936 and the couple got married in 1939, their daughter Nijolė was born in 1942 and in 1943, their son Tautvydas. The family settled in Vilijampolė, not far from the artist’s work place. [Extract, p. 201-202]