Kazys Varnelis (artist)
| Kazys Varnelis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 25, 1917 Alsėdžiai, Lithuania |
| Died | October 29, 2010 (aged 93) Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Nationality | Lithuanian-American |
| Education | Institute of Fine Art, Kaunas, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | constructivism, minimalism, and op art. |
Kazys Varnelis (February 25, 1917 in Alsėdžiai – October 29, 2010 in Vilnius) was an abstract painter from Lithuania. He lived and worked in the United States of America for fifty years, between 1949 and 1998. His distinctive painting style demonstrated optical and three-dimensional illusions based on geometric abstractions and minimal forms. His style combined elements of constructivism, minimalism, and op art. His work is sometimes described as a modernist interpretation of Lithuanian folk art and is owned by Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, Currier Museum of Art, and other museums. Varnelis was also an avid collector of antiques and bibliophile – his collection is now housed at the Kazys Varnelis House–Museum in Vilnius. His son, also named Kazys Varnelis is a noted architect, art historian, and theorist.
Born in Alsėdžiai in the Samogitia region to a father who was a religious wood sculptor and painter, Varnelis graduated from Institute of Fine Art in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1941. He briefly worked as director of the Museum for Ecclesiastical Art before starting post-graduate studies in the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 1943. Two years later he was awarded the degree of academic painter (German: Akademischer Maler). Varnelis did not return to the Soviet-occupied Lithuania and emigrated to the United States, where he settled in Chicago. From 1949 to 1963 he worked on ecclesiastical art and church interiors. To make a living, he owned a stained glass studio. He produced stained glass windows, bronze and marble works. In 1963 he switched his focus to private painting and sculpture. Recognition came in late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1968 he was invited to teach at the Olive–Harvey College where he later became full professor.
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