Bruised and Confused

“Bruised and Confused” is a reflection on the maximalist thinking so often associated with the youth.

A young mind has a tendency of working at a speed much faster than the time that defines the physical world. The clash of these two speeds can result in a fall – making a bruise the physical symbol of this phenomenon, a symbol of youth. The bruise decorates the skin of the “fallen” and serves as a reminder of that unfortunate event. Let it be a bruised knee after running into the bed frame or a black eye from a drunken Friday evening, it reviles the personality of the person wearing it, even the mistakes he has made. It’s a unique mark that tells a little extra.

With time the bruise fades much like adolescence itself, however, printed on paper it can continue its existence for decades.

The exposition consists of a series of four-color silkscreen prints – portraits of the bruises and their “owners”. Each work is given a name of a real person – peer of the artist – and at the show, it serves as a reminder of how easily bruises can be impersonated.
Printed works are complemented by a sculptural object – “Bruise Making Machine” – a bronze casting of the artist’s tooth-print. Those visitors of the exhibition who are not afraid to get bitten will be able to get a bruise in a form of the artist’s bite marks, taking a part of the exhibition along with them, when they leave. Besides that, there is another component of the exposition – a small fountain “Līdz kāzām sadzīs” (transl. from Latvian – It will heal until the wedding). It is a composition of ready-made objects the central one of which is a bottle of hydrogen peroxide solution. This solution is widely used for disinfecting wounds.