D. Kalniņš's painting – “Monkey Stream”

Painting: “Monkey Stream”

Technique: Oil and acrylic on canvas
Size: 141 × 109 cm
Year: 2018

Artistic perspective

D. Kalnins Painting “Monkey Stream” is a visual explosion in which layers of color, rhythm of gestures, and spontaneity of forms intertwine in a deep, dynamic, and multi-layered landscape. The artist deliberately combines two different techniques—oil and acrylic—allowing their contrasting qualities to coexist on one canvas. Acrylic gives the work intensity and immediacy, while oil brings plasticity, liveliness, and visual spatiality, which overall gives the painting an inner pulsation.

Interpretation of the name

Name “Monkey Stream”, which incorporates both German-sounding logic and deliberately confusing neologisms, acts as a key to the viewer's interpretation. The German word "Monkey" means monkey, while "Bach" — rivers. Is it an ironic commentary on civilization and nature? A play on concepts or an absurdity without a solid message? It is this ambiguity that makes the work particularly intriguing. It is not just an image, but a dialogue between the viewer and an indeterminate story.

Shapes and structure

The painting balances on the border between abstraction and figuration. Some of the shapes seem to point to organic objects, perhaps animal figures or fragments of landscapes, but the artist leaves this reading open, allowing the viewer to create their own meanings. The visual language is intense - both areas of sharp contrast and softer shades of color transitions are used, which indicate a thoughtful painterly thinking.

Context and time of creation

Created in 2018, the painting “Monkey Stream” embodies the artist’s ability to be both intuitive and technically nuanced. It is both an aesthetic experience and an intellectual challenge that provokes and captivates. This work invites the viewer to perceive art as a game — serious but candid, where every gesture and splash of color becomes part of a larger, yet undiscovered story.

View painting

To view an image of the painting, please visit this Instagram link.

About the author

Read more about Dzintara here.