Andris Strazdins’ “As I Lay Dying 1” (Aldis Strazdins photo)
Andris Strazdins’ work “The Forest Floor” is among his three pieces that will be on display at the Pump House exhibit. (Aldis Strazdins photo)
Aldis’ work, “Mehaniskais Apelsins — Bog,” will be featured at the Pump House show. (Aldis Strazdins photo)
Aldis Strazdins (right), astride his Ural, a Russian-made sidecar motorcycle, transports his father Andris (left). (Contributed photo)
By SARAH PARKER | County Line Editor
In a convergence of the visual and literary arts, two local men’s pieces will be among those featured at a Pump House exhibit, “BANNED: Art Inspired by Banned Books,” through November.
Altogether, the juried exhibit features 20 works by 14 regional artists of all media. Held in conjunction with National Banned Books Week, the exhibit is a collaboration between the Pump House and La Crosse Public Library.
Father and son Andris and Aldis Strazdins submitted work suggestive of William Faulkner’s 1930 novel “As I Lay Dying” and Anthony Burgess’s 1962 dystopian novel “A Clockwork Orange,” respectively.
In a nod to the Faulkner title, Andris’ works — done in ink and entitled “As I Lie Dying 1,” “As I Lie Dying 2” and “The Forest Floor” — are evocative of death.
Aldis’ collage, “Mehaniskais Apelsins — Bog” (a Latvian translation of “A Clockwork Orange”), incorporates cyrillic lettering, a graphic element reflecting Burgess’ use of the Russian language in “A Clockwork Orange.”
Born in Latvia, Andris, of Hillsboro, was away from his home country at a young age, when the German occupation left Latvia at the end of World War II and was supplanted by the Russian occupation.
From there, he and his family spent time in displaced-persons camps, eventually moving to the Catskills and then Wisconsin. Also, his family bought a farm in rural Kendall in 1958.
After getting his bachelor’s in fine arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he received his master’s in fine arts from Southern Illinois University, plus he taught art and has been in many shows over the years. Now retired, he and his wife Ilga live in Hillsboro.
A Milwaukee native, son Aldis studied film production at UW-Milwaukee, later owning a graphic design firm in the Milwaukee area and an ad agency in De Pere, Wis., for 15 years.
He and his wife Cheryl made the town of Wellington their full-time residence about a year ago. Purchasing the former Gina’s Pies are Square building several years ago, he now uses the space as a studio for design and film projects.
The Pump House, located in La Crosse at 119 King St., will offer the show from Sept. 13 to Nov. 4.
If you go:
What: Juried, themed exhibit, “BANNED: Art Inspired by Banned Books”
Who: Twenty works by 14 regional artists, including Aldis Strazdins of rural Wilton and Andris Strazdins of Hillsboro
When: Sept. 13 to Nov. 4 during regular gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 12–4 p.m. Saturday. Artist reception set for 5–7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15.
Where: Pump House Kader Gallery, 119 King St., La Crosse
Cost: Admission is free and open to the public
