May 8 d. (Wednesday) 5 PM is marked by the opening of exhibition at the Museum of works and collections of A. Žmuidzinavičius (V.Putvinskio str. 64, Kaunas) dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the legendary Lithuanian photographer Aleksandras Macijauskas. The exhibition will be open until June 2.

 

The exhibition retraces the milestones of life and carreer of a photographer, who is ranked among the most important figures of photographic avant-gardes of the second half of the 20th century. Works by Macijauskas were exhibited and lined-up with those of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bill Brandt, Mario Giacomelli and others. In the Soviet era, when the works of art photographers were regarded as blackmail of the socialist lifestyle, the photographs of Macijauskas were exhibited in Arles, Houston and elsewere, represening not only Lithuianian (or Soviet), but European photography.

The show consists of photographs and stripes of biographical facts that the photographer considered to be important for his life and work. Differently from other retrospectives, this exhibition retraces the life story of A. Macijauskas through his personal and family life. Therefore the viewers discover the difficulties of the post-war years, the marriage, the reasons why Macijauskas discovered photography, the first won photo-competitions and the ways to improve the life under Soviet rule with the public image of an art photographer. The exhibition shows the off-springs and reasons of most series of works: “Manifestations”, “Country Markets”, “Summer”, the role of censorship and family life on their creation.

Nails? We, in Lithuania, say this word when we mean the main accent of a show. The life-show of Macijauskas started, when at the age of 16 he got his first paid job, which was in the nail production chain in a factory. Later on, the nails got multiplied, the nails became those of the life of an artist.

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