An exhibition of the British artist Michael Kidner titled “Love is a Virus from Outer Space” will be open for viewing from 29 October 2021 until 16 January 2022 at the Mark Rothko Art Centre in Daugavpils.
Simultaneously rational and playful, Kidner’s art combines visually expressed answers to mathematics, science and chaos theory principles, as the artist retains a deep and constant interest in the irrational and unpredictable human nature. Optics were a challenge of seeking a clean form for his images, a phenomenological approach to wavering light and colour effects in space restricted by a canvas. Talking about art perception, he has said: “Unless you read a painting as a feeling, you don’t get anything at all.”
The British artist Michael Kidner (1917-2009), academician of the Royal Academy of Arts, was a pioneer of optical art in the 1960s. In the beginning of his creative journey, before he developed his own individual creative signature, he was carried away by abstract expressionism art, especially by the creative work of Mark Rothko. Some of this period’s work was made as a direct dedication to Rothko.
During his outstanding career, the artist has received numerous awards, has held influential academic positions, participated in international group exhibitions and has had personal exhibitions in Great Britain, Eastern Europe, Brazil, Austria, Scandinavia, as well as he was elected as the academician of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2004.
Upon adding to the exhibition, a catalogue of the artist’s work has also been issued.
The exhibition is supported by VV Foundation.