Antanas Sutkus “Street Life”

“The photographs in this book were taken in the years 1959 through to 1977, a time when Lithuania formed part of the Soviet Union. It helps to keep this in mind when looking at the photos, as it is only then that their full force can be felt. As we know, Soviet visual language tented to present humans dwarfed by vast plazas, epic military parades, towering statues. Everything was propaganda; mass, power and intimidation were the order of the day. But things are quite different in the photos of Antanas Sutkus.
<...> If there is one thing that is absent from Antanas Sutkus’ photographs, it’s stagnation. There is always something in motion. Everything pulsates, vibrates with life. Even when we are faced wit someone simply sitting (recurring themes are the park bench and bus stop), the images are filled with tension. And optimism: the beloved will receive a bunch of flowers. The bus will come. The cloud cover will lift, and the sun will show itself once more. The narratives of Sutkus’ photographs always also include their own happy endings. The photographs bear witness to his belief in the good in the world.”

Johanna Adorján