Mākslas vingrotājas. 1966

Curator: I find this work deeply evocative. “Mākslas vingrotājas” – "Artistic Gymnasts," a charcoal drawing made in 1966 by Guntis Strupulis. What strikes you about it initially? Editor: The dramatic contrast grabs me. Most of the figures are rendered in heavy, almost melancholic shadow, except for the central gymnast, bathed in light, seemingly vulnerable. The image has a quality almost of being a negative, but one that emphasises certain cultural assumptions nonetheless. Curator: Yes, the spotlight draws our eye, doesn't it? Given that Strupulis worked during the Soviet era in Latvia, it's tempting to interpret this as a commentary on the state's idealization of athleticism, particularly of women. Their physical form, their discipline becoming symbolic. Editor: That could be valid, but I wonder if it isn’t also referencing artistic tropes and symbolism that reach further back. Think of the “three graces,” that common allegory for various virtues, with this individual gymnast positioned in the centre as truth, and the more shadowy figures in either flank as stand ins for abstract darknesses, and vices like avarice. Curator: It’s an intriguing idea, a subversive nod. Certainly, the staging has a theatrical quality; a convergence of form with social responsibility and the gaze it reflects back into history. The figures are caught in what looks like a very carefully balanced scene, between the light and shadow of public life. Editor: Exactly! Their bodies, whether obscured or highlighted, allude to stories far beyond physical prowess. Note how Strupulis has each individual’s expression carefully masked to create ambiguity. There are symbols here layered over even the very concept of national pride that can perhaps bring a degree of universal understanding to the themes being presented. Curator: Indeed. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and consider what remains unseen. The visual language that can subvert such social messages and ideas, regardless of time. Editor: The stark composition stays with you, doesn't it? It holds multiple possible worlds and understandings. Curator: Absolutely. Strupulis gives us an image brimming with meaning, making it an indelible cultural artefact, and historical comment all in one.