VISVALDIS ZIEDINS AND THE OBJET TROUVE TREND IN HIS ART (Visvaldis Ziedins un vina makslas Objet Trouve virziens)

In January 2009, a surprising number of artworks or, as the artist called them, 'art-makings' - drawings, paintings and objects - were found in Visvaldis Ziedins' house. 1185 items were listed in Ziedins' art collection during work on this article. Information is still being gathered on the collection and the article is just the beginning of this research process. Visvaldis Ziedins was born on 4 April 1942 and died on 11 January 2007 in Liepaja. From 1959 to 1964 he studied at the Interior Design Department of the Liepaja Secondary School of Applied Arts. After graduation he enrolled as a painter at a motor transport depot but later started to work as artist-decorator at the 'Kurzeme' department store in Liepaja. In his spare time he created surprising 'art-makings'. Apart from participation in Liepaja artists' group exhibitions, Ziedins had three solo shows during his lifetime which were held in Liepaja in 1968, 1986 and 1992.Considering Ziedins' heritage from the historical viewpoint, his most active and interesting period coincides the gloomy Soviet time. However, the historical excursus should begin with the gains during the 'thaw' when the partial relaxation of the political regime also brought changes to culture. 'Legitimate' contacts with the rest of the world are resumed in this period. Up till now Zenta Logina, Lidija Auza and Ojars Abols were credited with being the first Latvian artists to complement their works with sand, metal slivers, glass shards and everyday objects or their fragments since the mid-1960s. Now Ziedins has to be added to this list as he had already started to form spatial compositions involving cement and lime mortar and everyday items in the early 1960s. Ziedins' diaries reveal that he studied the works of both the classical modernists and Latvian masters.