Kersti Liblikmaa

Paintings of Lembit Sarapuu in 1960's-1970's with Reference to Naïve Art

Summary

The paintings of an Estonian artist Lembit Sarapuu (born 01.08.1930) have always given reasons for discussions, whether his art of 1960s and 1970s is naïve or professional. The aim of this Bachelor work was to explain whether this kind of discussions had any basis and to define the nature and essence of naïve art in general art world.

Naïve art lies outside - yet parallel - to the development of the main artistic currents of the Western traditions. A typical naïve artist is naturally gifted and self-taught and his/her work has a childlike innocence, a spontaneous, ingenuous, unaffected quality. Naïve artists generally favour paintings as a medium, they prefer bright colors, and they reveal in meticulous detail and paint from their immediate experience or knowledge. Naïve art depicts usually an idealized, timeless reality, often of a mystical or fantastic nature. The vision of this harmonious world has also influenced a number of major modern artists. The emergence of naïve art was linked to the decline of European folk art traditions in the 19th. Century.

Lembit Sarapuu is not naïve or self taught painter but his creation has many similarities to naïve art. One way to explain the naïve form, coloration and themes of the artist´s earlier, lyrical works is to see them as the representation of possible alternative directions in the ´60s and ´70s. But there have always been critics who try to look further than that because Sarapuu´s art has maintained its naivistic and sometimes irritating essence and can not be treated only as the part of revolutionary rebels in ´60s.

Lembit Sarapuu´s art has a very individual, ingenuous and sincere essence. Although his themes are not so simple and easy to understand at once, his concern to his material is very intimate and intense and comparable to naïve art, as also his nature not to care about restrictions or conventions of modern art or even technical possibilities. He can be described to be as free as a naïve painter, for he is also painting from immediate experience and knowledge. Sarapuu´s mother, Veera Sarapuu, is known as a naïve painter in Estonian art and it is obvious that these two artists share a similar point of view. Sarapuu liked the work of his mother and has said himself that there is something that unites their art. Lembit Sarapuu can be very romantic and lyrical in his paintings, almost sweet, but yet very professional. The fact that he actually uses the themes that can sometimes be compared to kitsch or amateurism has raised several discussions. Also Sarapuu´s color and form can be compared to naïve art.

Lembit Sarapuu´s art work is very interesting and has a very important place in Estonian art. He is a painter who has kept high the traditions of painting, while modern art is now generally known to us through performances, happenings and video-installations.