Arnis Balcus

Infobox Artist


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name = Arnis Balcus
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birthdate = Birth date and age|1978|4|2|mf=y
location = Riga, Latvia
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nationality = Latvian
field = Photography
training = University of Latvia, University of Westminster
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Arnis Balcus (born 1978) is a photography and video artist. Born in Riga, Latvia, Balcus lived and worked in his home town before moving to London, United Kingdom in 2004. He took an MA course on photography at University of Westminster from 2004 to 2005. He is exhibiting his work since 1994, but emerged internationally in 2003 with the photographic series "Myself, Friends, Lovers and Others". Using snapshot aesthetic the series were showing the everyday of contemporary Latvian youth. [ [http://www.absolutearts.com/artsnews/2005/04/15/32920.html absolutearts.com] ]

In the photographic project "Episodes" the artist was staging various cinematic scenes on the subjects of sex and violence, referencing films by Russ Meyer, Mike Powell and John Waters. [ [http://www.photocabin.co.uk/pub_02.php photocabin.co.uk] ] "Episodes" was also published as a series of three books. [ [http://www.virb.com/box/blog/207995 virb.com] ]

In early 2008 he had a solo show entitled "Flowers" at Riga Gallery. The color photographs were portraying naked people, each of them had chosen a different flower or plant. [ [http://www.creativeurope.com/Arnis_Balcus_Flowers_1 creativeurope.com] ]

He addresses issues of identity and gender also in his video works. His video "Xionel" (2004) features a confession by a beautiful Asian transsexual, while "Balcus' Latvia 1989-91" is a photo story created of artist's family snapshots from the time Latvia regained its independence from USSR. [ [http://athomeineurope.eu/activities_mtour.php athomeineurope.eu] ]

He published a book of ambiguous black and white self-portraits, "Desire to be Adored" in 1999 and a book of snapshots "Myself, Friends, Lovers and Others" in 2003. These were followed by "Episodes Vol. I" (2006), "Episodes Vol. II" (2007) and "Behind the scenes" (2007).

He has had solo exhibitions at Overgaden, Copenhagen (2003), Fotogalerie Wien, Vienna (2004), [ [http://www.photography-now.com/artists/k11049.html photography-now.com] ] Riga Gallery (2006, 2007) [ [http://www.riga-gallery.com/?eng/artists/27 riga-gallery.com] ] , State Museum of Art, Riga (2004) [ [http://www.photography-now.com/artists/k11049.html photography-now.com] ] and Matthew Bown Gallery, London (2005, 2006). [ [http://matthewbown.com/artists&pages/balcus/index.html matthewbown.com] ]

Balcus' work has also been published in various art and lifestyle magazines, such as Black and White Magazine, Dazed & Confused (magazine), Flash Art Magazine, Soul Mag, Achtung Mode and many more.

References

External links

* [http://www.arnisbalcus.co.uk/ Arnis Balcus website]
* [http://www.riga-gallery.com Riga Gallery]
* [http://www.camp.lv/eng/kolekcija/darbi/21gadsimts/arnis_balzus Contemporary Art Museum Project]
* [http://www.youtube.com/abalcus Arnis Balcus Videos]