TATIANA SUTA

art scientist, 
docent,
bearer of the Order of Three Stars
 

I was born as a seven-month child, in Paris, thus causing my parents - the artists Romans Suta and Alexandra Belcova lots of trouble. My parents had gone there to paint. The French doctor christened me as a catholic and named me Tatiana, to send my soul to heaven. However, I remained alive. 
I was brought by Nataly, my father's mother, Amalia Suta (born Apsite) who used to mix with a wide. Circle of Latvian intellectuals, conducting the First Riga vegetarian cooking courses during the twenties and thirties, as well as heading a number of refectories and cafes, such as the "Succube", as the "Bookman's Pub", Cafe Congress" and the "Centre Kitchen".
I went to school at the French Lyceum, the later Henry Barbusse High School (1930-1941).
I felt an inclination towards dancing as early as at an age of five years. However, it was only after having graduated from school, that I go a chance to follow my inclination on a professional level, starting courses at the ballet studio of H. Tangiyeva-Birzniece (1941-1943). My first steps on the stage took place at the Liepaja Theatre of Drama and opera during the years of the Second World War (1943/44). That was the year of the "Siege of Kurland", a hard school for everybody. 
I returned to Riga together with my mother in 1945. I was employed as a ballet artist at the Theatre of Opera and Ballet of the Latvian SSR. Alongside with my work I continued my studies and bot obtained a graduation paper at the Opera Theatre and Ballet Studio (1948). I am a member of the Theatre Society (form 1951) and a member of the Association of professional ballet artists.
In 1960 I suffered from a heavy trauma in my knee and had to think of changing my profession. I entered the Faculty of History and Theory of Art at the Latvian State Academy of Arts in 1960, where I started studying alongside with my work at the theatre. I graduated in 1967, the theme of my graduation paper being "The monographic material of Roman Suta (scientific adviser R.Lace). I am member of the Artist's Union from 1970.
I have worked in three professions: as a ballet dancer, as a lecturer on the history of art, and as an editor and senior editor of art broadcasts (1970-1992). In the capacity of a free-lanced author I founded the cycle on architecture Culture and interior decoration "At our Home" Programme for the cultural programme on the Latvian TV (1992-1994)
I have been working as a lecturer, but from 1996 a docent at the Latvian Academy of Culture, teaching the history of Latvian art. As a hobby, I write about art and artists.
The leading motive of my work is doing things in such a way as being interested in my work. Which means - always finding new sounds in an old song. I work according to the old Latvian saying that goes "what comes from the heart that goes back to the heart". I have a feeling that students sense it. I put as my basic task at television and the Academy of Culture has been to get 
The students acquainted with the most outstanding creative personalities in the short history of Latvian art and to teach them the formation of national identity, in the course of the historic collisions of our period, so that the students should no think that we are just a small little nation, "living on the trees and eating mushrooms, putting their heads out" (as described by Agnes Bule in her "Cosmic Myths"). I wish to put my hands and brains to task, permitting us to spread our wings, keeping our identity and absorb the breath of the expanses coming from the of the wide world.
Achievements.

At the Latvian Television I created and led broadcast cycles, such as "The Summons", "Our Artists", "In our exhibition halls", "The world of art", the television magazine "Art", "At our home" et al. From 1965 I have been writing essays and reviews on art in the collection of articles "Latvian Art", in the journals "Art" and "Banner", in the Newspaper "Literature and Art", in the journal "Daugava", appearing in Russian, as well as "Decorative art in the USSR", also in the periodicals appearing in exile in Latvian, such as "The new road". I have also published the book "Romans Suta" (1975, 1996)), and in manuscript a monograph on the textile artist Edith-Paul Vigner (1999).
I was particularly attracted by the vanguard art of the twenties and thirties, as well as by the most striking events in modern art. I could mention in this connection a number of my publications, such as "In step with the World's vanguard" (about R. Suta in the catalogue "Unerwartete Begegnung Lettische Avangarde" (1910-1935). Köln. 1990); Articles in the journal "Maksla" ("Art") "On the capacity of concentrating on the essential" (About artist A.Belcova - 1982,3), "Confession" (On J.Tidemans - 1984, 1), "Tamed Force" (About artist J.Pauluks - 1977,3), "Dialogue with oneself" (About artist K. Padegs - 1981,3)"; "Memories of common pastimes with the artist Biruta Baumane" (1994) et al.
It was a great moral satisfaction being awarded a life stipend from the Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia in 1999, as well as the Order of Three stars. 

FIGURES
1.Autumn 1999
2. 1945. Starting work at the Theatre of Opera and Ballet.
3. Beginning of work at the Latvian Television.

December 1999.