Imants Purins (Latvian, 1930-2008) A Game, c. 1988 Gelatin silver print 9-1/2 x 13-1/4 inches (24.1 x 33.7 cm) (image) 11-3/4 x 15-1/2 inches (sheet) Signed, titled, dated in ink and with the photographer's stamps, verso. Imants Purins was for many years Chairman of the Riga Photography Club and was known as a master of horse photos. Purins made his debut as a photographer at an amateur exhibition at the Cesis Museum, and took an active part in founding the Cesis Photography Club. Together with artistic director Aivars Āķis, he made Riga one of the leading creative centers of photographic art in the Soviet Union. In 1987, Akis founded the Association of Photography Artists, which later grew into the Latvian Union of Photography Artists where Purins first served as a member of the board and later as Executive Secretary. Apart from carrying out his daily duties, Purins specialized in photographing horses. They were the theme closest to his heart up to the moment when, as he pointed out, he could no longer catch up with them! His horse photographs have featured widely in publications and exhibitions, both at home and internationally. His works, classics in Latvian photography, never before offered at auction in the US, display an interaction of the formal techniques of pictorial photography with a romantic and heartfelt view of traditional Latvian rural life. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice