Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on canvas. 1979.
Signature: KÕKS 79 / Smoky Mountains, NC, USA. Oil, 1979 Endel Kõks

In 1978, Endel Kõks (1912-1983) lived in Canada where his brother Jaan also resided and after that in the USA for four months. Comparing the experiences he had, he wrote: “During Christmas, I had to go to several houses to eat turkey, which this time seemed better to me than the American turkeys, maybe the housewives were more skillful.” (Endel Kõks. With Courage, Freedom and Joy”. TKM, 2013, p. 124). Both this and other memoirs written by Kõks reveal how socially active of an artist he was and how he was always kindly welcomed.

Among other things, he took creative trips to the most beautiful places in the region, both with guests and on his own, including to one of the most famous national parks in the USA, the Smoky Mountains. Here, a photo-realistically neutral piece was completed, showing a rather atypical scene from a place that people usually come to enjoy for its breathtaking mountain ranges.

But Kõks is fascinated by something completely different – a parking lot with a single American car in it. Because this is the place that tells a story. The story of the people who have come there. On their day off, of that moment when they reached the breathtaking view and then moved on. It was the moment just before leaving.

But inevitably, there is also a moment of enchanting nature in the background of the shot as the mountains are visible from the parking lot. The cloudless light blue sky emphasizes the carefree mood and the lazy passage of time – just like in the paintings of the American classic painter Edward Hopper.

The piece comes directly from the Endel Kõks estate.

Text: Katre Palm, Harry Liivrand