"Portrait of a Man As If He Were Air"
September, 2011
During his successful 2010 climb of Mount Everest, mountaineer and scientist, Patrick Hollingworth provided daily updates to his website with great honesty and candour. His willingness during the climb to openly discuss his previous experiences with depression, and the subsequent raising of awareness for men’s health issues, contributed to Patrick’s expedition being widely followed.
One year later, Patrick once again entered the unfamiliar terrain of public attention when his painted likeness; “Portrait of a Man As If He Were Air” by Peteris Ciemitis was announced a finalist in the prestigious Black Swan Portrait Prize.
“In the painting, there are obvious expressions of self doubt, resolve and strength. But the image also is layered with ideas of the mountain, of death on the mountain, of ice, of life and biology, of lines of thought and intellect. Mostly it is about conditions; the constant flux of the environment, the light, cold and fury within which one becomes subsumed as if one were part of it ... as if one were just air.”
The Black Swan Prize
Event Date/s: 16th September – 26th September
Event time/s: 10:00 – 16:00hrs except Tuesday 20th September 13:00– 17:00hrs
Location: Perth Town Hall, Perth, Australia
Mountaineer Patrick Hollingworth,
with the painting
“Portrait of a Man As If He Were Air”
"thinking print" at moores
June, 2011
A print survey by Edith Cowan University at Moores Gallery in Fremantle has challenged questions of what print making might be through investigations across a wide range of traditional and non-traditional approaches. Works including those by Jillian Ciemitis, formed part of a special feature of the exhibition;- the “Global Echo” project. ‘Global Echo’ will concurrently exhibit a collected survey of selected printmakers in International venues including New York, Karachi, Sheffield, Lancashire and Utah.
"making sense of place"
at the national portrait gallery
March, 2011
A portrait of the late Professor George Seddon (entitled “Making Sense of Place #4”) by Perth based artist Peteris Ciemitis has been accepted as a gift to the National Portrait Gallery by its owner, his widow Marli Wallace ... who said Seddon would have been very pleased and quietly proud of the gift. “It will ensure it is on display for all to see. I have been privileged to mind it for a while.”
(excerpt from Artist’s Chronicle, Issue 136 Jan/Feb 2011)
'AL53KD'
December 26, 2010
An eclectic exhibition of portraiture was held at St Kilda's Brightspace Gallery, featuring a diverse range of artists from around Australia, including the work of both Peteris and Jillian Ciemitis.
'AL53KD' continues at Brightspace Gallery until December 30, 2010.
Gallery hours: Wednesday -
Friday 11am-4pm
Location: Brightspace Gallery, 8 Martin Street, St Kilda, Victoria
3182 Australia
'disquiet' opens at gadfly gallery
October 22, 2010
Executive Director of Artrinsic Inc, Tina Wilson, has opened a new solo exhibition by Peteris Ciemitis, ‘Disquiet’, to a packed gallery at Gadfly in Perth. Paired with a concurrent exhibition (‘Menagerie’ by Esther Erlich), the exhibition ‘Disquiet ‘ presents samplings of work by Peteris Ciemitis’ over the past 18 months. The images in the exhibition circle around ephemerality, tension, transience and resolution.
Peteris Ciemitis will present a 1 hour artist talk at Gadfly Gallery at 6pm on November 4, 2010.
RSVP is essential (mail@gadflygallery.com).
‘Disquiet’ continues at Gadfly Gallery until November 7, 2010.
Gallery hours: Wednesday- Friday 11am-5pm, Saturdays and Sundays 2-5pm
Location: Gadfly Gallery, 131B Waratah Ave, Dalkeith, WA Australia http://www.gadflygallery.com/
black swan prize
September 23, 2010
Peteris Ciemitis has received the Black Swan Prize for his portrait of Australian performer, festival director and arts advocate Robyn Archer. Judges comprised Artrinsic Board Member, Carl Altmann; former Chair of the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA), Helen Cook and Director of the AGWA, Stefano Carboni, who remarked: "The colours are subtle while the finer details are suggestive of the underlying structure of the sitter's features. In addition there is that delightful essential which is the assured ability to draw. It was Michelangelo who maintained that before one could paint, one must be able to draw, which means that the artist has to be skilled in observation and engagement with the sitter. The painting invites the viewer to come in close as though to examine the landscape of the face."
The 2010 Black Swan Prize drew extensive National entries, and hung 42 finalists relfecting work by leading artists from each State. In recognition of its rapid ascent, the Prize was also the subject of a documentary production.
View an excerpt from the documentary here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckQ_IUv9As
Filming in progress for the Black Swan Prize documentary
artist talk series confirmed
forthcoming - September/October, 2010
Peteris Ciemitis has confirmed a series of WA artist talks/demonstrations in the lead up to his forthcoming exhibition at Gadfly Gallery in October. Peteris will speak on his background as an artist and urban designer, his influences, practice and techniques at the following artist talks in September and October 2010.
September 30:
Alfred Cove Art Society, Atwell Gallery, 586 Canning Highway, Alfred Cove, WA
(enquiries: alfredcoveartsociety@gmail.com)
October 10:
North Coast Art Club, Carramar Community Centre, Rawlinna Parkway, Carramar, WA
(enquiries: rdbastick@optusnet.com.au)
October 11:
City of Subiaco, Subiaco Library, 237 Rokeby Road, Subiaco, WA
(enquiries: colleenh@subiaco.wa.gov.au)
exhibition "erot-ic"
June 30 - July 20, 2010
Leading Sydney Gallery, Gallery@28, opens a themed group exhibition of erotic images on June 30, 2010, featuring Peteris Ciemitis amongst its selection of invited artists.
Gallery@28
28 Queen Street, Woollahra, NSW
Opening: June 30, 2010 - 6pm
www.galleryat28.com.au
ALMA exhibition
April 23 - May 23, 2010
The Australian Latvian Artists Association (ALMA) Exhibition at Latvia House has represented the culmination of the 50th Australian Lativian Theatrical Festival in Sydney for 2010. ALMA invited 14 artists from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, who responded with 19 works. Post exhibition reviews have particularly noted the participation of Peteris Ciemitis, Eve Deksni and Lara Doolett (see www.laikraksts.com/raksti/raksts.php/KursRaksts=229)
Latvia House
32 Parnell St, Strathfield, NSW
exhibition "inconjunction"
May 8 - 16, 2010
A 2010 survey of printmedia in Western Australia has featured pieces by Jillian Ciemitis. The 'by-invitation' exhibition, curated by Shelley Cowper and Krissie Dawson comprised outstanding works by 28 printmedia students and staff of (inter alia) the Universities of Edith Cowan (ECU), Western Australia (UWA) and Curtin.
Moores Contemporary Art Gallery
46 Henry Street, Fremantle, WA
Gallery hours: 10.00am to 5.00pm daily
exhibition "es + id"
March 16 - 26, 2010
Jillian and Peteris Ciemitis have brought a collection of works described by the Sydney Star Observer as "extraordinary and personal portraits" to the Depot II Gallery in Waterloo, Sydney. The exhibition, "Es" ("self" in Latvian) and "Id" (primitive subconscious) aimed to stir ideas of unsettled emotional undercurrents. The exhibition was opened by Nick Vickers (Director of the Alumni Gallery, University of Sydney) opened to a gathered audience of over a hundred attendees.
DEPOT II GALLERY, 2 Danks Street, Waterloo, NSW
Gallery hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 11am to 6pm, Sunday: 10.30am to 3.30pm
February 27, 2010
Invited again by the Perth Blues Club to be Artist in Residence for their annual New Orleans style Mardis Gras, Peteris Ciemitis has produced a 'sketchbook' of images from the event. Drawn plein air of live, vibrant performances, the images represent a an evolving body of work recording the evolution of Perth's pre-eminent blues festival.
exhibition "displacement and belonging"
December 5, 2009
The exhibition, "Displacement and Belonging" opened by Diana Warnock on December 5, features work by Peteris Ciemitis, Lidija Dombrovska-Larsen, Selga Esots, Indra Geidans, Maija Kins, Gabrielle Mazalevskis, Maris Raudzins, Lolita Skye-Lark, Arvids Sodums and Len Zuks. "Critically acclaimed for his luminous portraits, (Ciemitis) also showed landscapes on paper" (Lyn DeCiero, Artists Chronicle, Issue No 130)
Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, 46 Henry Street, Fremantle
December 5 to December 18, 2009. Daily: 10am to 5pm
edith cowan university exhibition
November 6, 2009
Max Pam opened the graduate exhibition at Spectrum Project Space, Highgate on November 6, 2009. Covering a range of contemporary photomedia, the exhibition featured recent works by Jillian Ciemitis.
Spectrum Project Space, 221 Beaufort St, Highgate, WA
August 6, 2009
The recently assembled collection of global Latvian diaspora art opens on August 6 at the Peter church in Riga.
Since September 2006, the Global Society for Latvian Art has collaborated with the Valmiera regional museum (Valmieras novadpētniecības muzejs) in organizing a large traveling exhibition of Latvian diaspora artworks. Since the 2008 opening, the show has been traveling to a number of regional museums throughout Latvia, including Gulbene, Valka, Limbazi, Madona and others.
Ciemitis’ work “Pasa Galva” features in the exhibition, which continues until September 2009.
www.latvianart.org Read more
Peter Church, Skarnu Iela 19, Riga, Latvia
July 25, 2009
The Bunbury Biennale was opened by the Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia Dr Stefano Carboni on July 25, 2009.
This exhibition is the ninth in the Biennale series so far, and includes significant works by Jo Darbyshire, Galliano Fardin, Olga Cironis, Janis Nedela, Alex Spremberg, Tony Windberg and Peteris Ciemitis.
The exhibition continues until 13 September, 2009.
Detail from “parallax” Peteris Ciemitis, 2009, Bunbury Biennale
May 29, 2009
Following a year-long tour of Victoria and New South Wales as a part of the Archibald 2008 exhibition, Peteris Ciemitis’ painting “GRABOWSKY” has arrived in Western Australia, to take up residence at the Ellington Jazz Club.
On hand to receive the painting into its new home was the work’s subject, Paul Grabowsky (coincidentally touring in Perth at the time), and Ellington owner, Graham Wood.
The painting is on loan to the Ellington, and can be seen at the club for at least the following year.
Ellington Jazz Club, 191 Beaufort Street, Perth, Australia
www.ellingtonjazz.com.au
Graham Wood (left) and Paul Grabowsky, with “GRABOWSKY” at the Ellington
May 3, 2009
Work by Peteris and Jillian Ciemitis will feature in an exhibition opening at Kurb Gallery, on May 3. The “Fair Trade Art Exhibition” supports Oxfam projects in the Solomon Islands, and will run until May 7.
Kurb Gallery, 310 William St, Northbridge, Perth, Australia
Gallery hours Mon-Thu 12-5pm.
rapids landing prize
April 19, 2009
Peteris Ciemitis has received the Black Swan/Rapids Landing Prize for Portraiture, presented at the Margaret River Wine Festival at Leeuwin, Western Australia. The winning painting presented an intensely introspective examination of internationally renowned bluesman, Dave Hole (see “Dave Hole #2” in gallery images), and was selected from an invited field of 30 artists.
Black Swan Director Tina Wilson announces the Black Swan Prize at the Leeuwin
Estate Festival
March 30, 2009
Jillian Ciemitis has received third prize in the open category of the Vincent Photographic Awards. The work “Messenger of the Deep” presented a poetic, ballet-like interpretation of a waterpolo match at the historic Beatty Park Aquatic Centre.
Jillian Ciemitis receives award from Vincent Mayor Nick Catania
January 24, 2009
Peteris Ciemitis was invited by the Perth Blues Club to be Artist in Residence for their inaugural New Orleans style Mardis Gras in North Perth. The project resulted in a body of sketchbook images produced from capturing live performances of acts such as Lucky Oceans, Rick Steele, Victoria Newton and Eugene Hideaway Bridges.
Lucky Oceans from the Mardi Gras Sketchbook
January 22, 2009
Jillian Ciemitis’ first solo exhibition broke attendance records for the Ellis House Gallery in Bayswater, Western Australia, opening to a crowd of over 130 people, attracting strong attendances for the full duration of the exhibition. Cited as “being reminiscent of a contemporary Decarava” (Andrei Buters, Perth Voice, 24/01/09), the work attracted extensive acclaim and interest.
The exhibition presented contemplative black and white narratives of artist Kevin McCabe and model Vicky Chisari, counterpointed with reflective images of Jazz saxophonist Troy Roberts and blues musician Matt Taylor.
Jillian Ciemitis at "Tide"
December 27, 2008
A comprehensive 256 page book surveying Latvian artists in Australia, was launched on December 27, 2008 by the former President of Latvia, Dr Vaira Vīķe-Freiberg, at Customs House in Sydney, Australia.
“This is a comprehensive collection of works by Latvian artists in Australia. It lists 103 artists who are either post-war immigrants or descendants of immigrants, and includes biographies and first-person statements.
The text is in English and Latvian and has essays on Latvian culture in Australia. The artists' statements and the stories of cultural resettlement alongside the images add an illuminating dimension.
The most well-known artist here is Imants Tillers but works by Uldis Abolins, Peteris Ciemitis, Lidija Dombrovska-Larsen and Peter Dombrovskis also impress.” Marc McEvoy, Brisbane Times, January 20, 2009
The book launch was accompanied by an invited exhibition of work (“AL52KD”) by many of the artists surveyed in the publication. The exhibition, curated by Andra Krumins, featured work by Peteris Ciemitis, Harijs Piekalns, Janis Nedela and Imants Tillers.
- Left to right: Dagnija Greste, Dr Vaira Vike-Freiberg, Imants Tillers, Isodore Tillers, Peteris Ciemitis (photograph courtesy Vija Spogis-Erdmanis)
- Assembled Artists at ALMA Book Launch, Customs House Sydney