Kestutis Stoškus
Encyclopedia
Kęstutis Ipolitas Stoškus is a Lithuanian architectural photographer and a museum curator.
Born in Dūdlaukis (Jurbarkas
, Lithuania
) on March 13, 1951, Stoškus graduated in economics from the University of Vilnius
in 1973. He has worked as a photographer since 1985, and since 1994 has worked for the National Museum of Lithuania
.
Stoškus works with medium- and large-
format cameras to create detailed black-and-white
photographs of the unspoiled parts of the old town
of central Vilnius
. Cars, advertising, signs of tourism, and even the presence of pedestrians — all are minimized in order not to detract from the architecture, his main interest.
Following Barocke Sakralarchitektur in Wilna (also published in Polish), for which he contributed the photographs, the first book dedicated to Stoškus's work was Vilnius: Photographs of the Old Town, a collection of some thirty images with an introduction by Raminta Jurėnaitė, who describes Stoškus both within a strong tradition of photography of Vilnius and as akin to Eugène Atget
and Bernd and Hilla Becher
as a systematic creator of documentary architectural work who is yet not commissioned.
Stoškus has had solo exhibitions in Gdańsk
(1996, 1998, 2005–06), Valence
(1997), Marburg
and Leipzig
(2002), and Kiel
(2003).
Born in Dūdlaukis (Jurbarkas
Jurbarkas district municipality
Jurbarkas district municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania....
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
) on March 13, 1951, Stoškus graduated in economics from the University of Vilnius
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
in 1973. He has worked as a photographer since 1985, and since 1994 has worked for the National Museum of Lithuania
National Museum of Lithuania
The National Museum of Lithuania , established in 1952, is a state-sponsored historical museum that encompasses several significant structures and a wide collection of written materials and artifacts. It also organizes archeological digs in Lithuania....
.
Stoškus works with medium- and large-
Large format
Large format refers to any imaging format of 4×5 inches or larger. Large format is larger than "medium format", the 6×6 cm or 6×9 cm size of Hasselblad, Rollei, Kowa, Pentax etc cameras , and much larger than the 24×36 mm frame of 35 mm format.The main advantage...
format cameras to create detailed black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
photographs of the unspoiled parts of the old town
Vilnius Old Town
The Old Town of Vilnius , one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres . It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings with a total floor area of 1,497,000 square meters...
of central Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. Cars, advertising, signs of tourism, and even the presence of pedestrians — all are minimized in order not to detract from the architecture, his main interest.
Following Barocke Sakralarchitektur in Wilna (also published in Polish), for which he contributed the photographs, the first book dedicated to Stoškus's work was Vilnius: Photographs of the Old Town, a collection of some thirty images with an introduction by Raminta Jurėnaitė, who describes Stoškus both within a strong tradition of photography of Vilnius and as akin to Eugène Atget
Eugène Atget
Eugène Atget was a French photographer noted for his photographs documenting the architecture and street scenes of Paris....
and Bernd and Hilla Becher
Bernd and Hilla Becher
Bernard "Bernd" Becher , and Hilla Becher, née Wobeser , were German artists working as a collaborative duo. They are best known for their extensive series of photographic images, or typologies, of industrial buildings and structures.- Biography :Bernd Becher was born in Siegen...
as a systematic creator of documentary architectural work who is yet not commissioned.
Stoškus has had solo exhibitions in Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
(1996, 1998, 2005–06), Valence
Valence, Drôme
Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...
(1997), Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
and Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
(2002), and Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
(2003).