| Abstract [eng] |
This master’s thesis analyzes the concept of art and culture in the criticism and cultural journalism of the poet Kazys Bradūnas. The research material consists of the most relevant articles published in the collection Kertinė paraštė: literatūros ir kultūros kritika bei publicistika (2017). Most of these texts were published in the cultural supplement of the newspaper Draugas, which the poet edited while living in exile. Thus, these texts reveal not only Kazys Bradūnas’s worldview, but also the issues and challenges of the émigré cultural sphere faced by the creators of that period. The research continues and expands the studies on Kazys Bradūnas as a critic and on the broader field of émigré culture. This analysis of Kazys Bradūnas’s texts employs the theoretical approach of Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics, which has not previously been applied in studies of his work. Thus, one of the objectives of the research is to define the principles of Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics relevant to the study: the concept of hermeneutic understanding (the hermeneutic circle and dialogue), historicity, and tradition. The main objectives of the practical part of the thesis are to identify the characteristic features of Kazys Bradūnas’s concept of art and culture. Accordingly, the practical part of the thesis is divided into two sections: the first analyzes the concept of art, primarily revealed through Kazys Bradūnas’s literary and art criticism, while the second employs cultural journalism to disclose the concept of culture. A total of 171 texts were analyzed. The research revealed that the main principles of hermeneutic understanding emerge in Kazys Bradūnas’s concept of art and culture: the critic perceives and evaluates individual works of art, artists, and cultural phenomena in relation to a broader whole – the Lithuanian and global traditions, which interact with one another. The vitality and continuity of art and culture are ensured through dialogue – the harmonious and conscious interaction of all members of society and the transmission of tradition to future generations. Kazys Bradūnas’s understanding of art and culture is shaped by historical circumstances and by the conditions of his own time (occupation and exile), which determine the central value – the aspiration to preserve Lithuanian identity. Kazys Bradūnas evaluates the expression of Lithuanian identity in art and culture through its relationship with tradition and its capacity for renewal. |
