The Siamese Print Shop

Above picture was a trial print to see whether I could produce some graphic prints here. Why not? But it was very difficult to explain my goal to the print shop staff. They are very typical Asian what comes to work. They would require a 100% sample of what is needed. I am used to more lenient way of working where the printer has his opinion (as an expert) how the work should be done.
Many people seem to undervalue the importance of printmaking – mostly probably because they don’t have a clue how difficult it is. There are so many choices to be made and it all starts from cutting down the options. The choice of technique, methods used, colors to be mixed and all kinds of things varing from the choice of paper to the hangover of the artist may greatly affect the results. Normally, one can see quite easily what is a good print, but determining why is another, more difficult question.
I, myself, am part of the old European tradition that I actually can print my own images if I wish to do so. So many artists nowadays use someone else to come up with their graphic work. No wrong with that but it also makes them believe – wrongly – that printing is just shifting images to another media. This is a common mistake since so many don’t have a clue what is the printing process itself. We are used to using photoshop and digital printer. Okay, that’s fine what comes to our daily needs but I am talking about a bit more sophisticated thing here. European printmaking is well alive and has a very long history. Granted, normally the artists start to use the older machinery since they are cheaper but they do not necessarily lack of quality. The most expensive part of printing is the color – the pigment in color to be clear. Many new machines use very little color to save money. Simple as that and as a result we get more anorectic and bloodless images. Many modern (or should I say postmodern?) printmakers don’t even know what is a quality print. The schools are concentrating on commercial demands and forgetting that narrow margin of true quality.
Happily, though, I have seen very good quality stuff at local Asian expos. They really seem to have that customer niche that demands quality as well. I believe that it is actually easier to get your prints made here up to that maximum wanted. As long as you have that 100% example, of course...

LUX AETERNA

LUX AETERNA – Ikuinen valo

Tänä vuoden pimeimpänä aikana mieleen muistui alemman tutkintoni näyttely Gotiikan tematiikasta ja sen yksi käsite ikuisesta valosta, joka heijastuu kaikista luomakunnan kappaleista, niistä pienimmistäkin ja vaatimattomista.

Gotiikka – kuten niin monet muutkin ihmisen rakentamat ideologiset rakennelmat – oli itseasiassa yhtä suurta väärinkäsitystä (Pseudo-Dionysius), mutta aikaansai mahtavia uskonnollisia rakennelmia varsinkin Ranskanmaalla. Olin jossain välissä Ile-de-Francen alueella tutustumassa noihin katedraaleihin mm. Reims, Beauvais ja lukuisa määrä muita joita en nyt enää muista kuin mielikuvalta. Gotiikan ideologian mukaan kirkko oli kuin puun juuristo kääntyneenä kohti valoa ja sillä tuli olla seitsemän tornia vrt. opetuslasta. Johtuen tuon ajan rakennustekniikasta, enin määrä jonka näin, oli viisi tornia. Täydellisyyttä kun on vain kirjoissa ja unelmissa. Ja ehkä taiteessa, kun se ominaislaatunsa avulla lähestyy unelmia, satuja ja sellaista jota julma todellisuus halveksii.

Tästä huolimatta, ajatus ikuisesta valosta ja sen kaikkialle tunkeutuvasta hoivasta tuntui lohduttavalta. Myöhemmin sitten heräsi ajatus, onko sitä olemassa vaikka on pirun pimeää? Ihminen haluaa uskoa ikuiseen ja varmaan ja pysyvään. Ehkä juuri siksi, että niin harva asia on noita edellämainittuja. Elämme kuin olisimme ikuisia.

Tänään muistelin edesmennyttä ystävääni, joka poistui kaksi vuotta sitten oman käden kautta hyppäämällä junan eteen. Ostin tuona päivänä pienen muistoesineen, jota yhä kannan mukanani. Hän oli yksi niitä unohdettuja, joilla ei ollut paljoa ystäviä ja elämä oli mennyt muita palvellessa ja raskaita töitä tehden. Auringonvalo – tai mikään muukaan valo – ei tainnut lämmittää häntä hänen yksinäisyydessään.

Valo on maalaustaiteessa olennaista. Sitä on vaikea vangita kankaalle. Se on hankalasti toteutettavissa, luonto tekee sen upeammin kuin yksikään maalaus pystyy sitä matkimaan. Ilman valoa juuri mitään tuntemastamme ei olisi olemassa. Se muuttuu ja kimaltaa kaikessa mihin osuu.

Mitä mahtoivat vanhat kreikkalaiset tarkoittaa laulaessaan: “Niin kauan kuin elät, loista!” Ehkä he halusivat ihmisen olevan loistelias oma aurinkonsa, joka olemassaolollaan valaisee muita ympärillään. Nyt kun Valon Juhla lähestyy – samoin kuin vuoden pimeimmät hetket – voimme sytyttää oman valomme ja valaista ja lämmittää sillä muita.

Loistakaamme!

LUX AETERNA – The Eternal Light
This being the darkest period of the year, it somehow reminds me of my exhibition themed around Gothic. There was a basic concept that adored light. The light was reflecting from everyhting in the universe – even the most remote of beings and things.
Gothic period – as so many ideologies (I try to avoid the word religion since I see little difference) put up by humans – is a great misunderstanding (referring to Pseudo-Dionysios). But still it was able to achieve ‘miracles’ in architecture of its times, especially in France. I was going around Ile-de-France region and enjoying its friendly people and good food (compared to Parisiens which are ackward people!). And of course seeing those cathedrals in Reims, Beauvais and so on. Most I can remember as images and relate to the feeling and location but can’t really remember their names any more.
The basic structure is a basilica turned to heavens like a giant tree roots seeking the light of God. There should be seven towers as there were seven followers of Christ. Due to technical problems the most I saw were five towers. So as good as a theory it might be, it couldn’t be accomplished here on Earth. So sad. Reaching that level of pure perfectness – maybe it can be done only in our imagination or literature or fairy tales. Or art in general since arts really are closest what we come up with concerning living as a human being.
Somehow the idea of eternal light that was reaching allover was a comforting one. Later I wondered whether it really exists when it’s totally dark? We like to believe in something eternal, safe and stable. Perhaps because so many things are actually the opposite. We live like we are eternal, indeed.
Today I remembered my friend that took his own life two years ago. That day I bought a memento that I still carry with me every day. He was one of those people, whos life went working hard and serving the needs of others. Sunlight – or any other form of light – didn’t seem to warm him in his solitude.
Light in painting is a necessity. It is hard to capture by the means of the brush stroke. It almost futile to compete with nature. Mother nature outshines every and each one that even dares to challenge its shining glory. Without light almost everything that we know of would seeze to exist. It shines and glimmers in everything that it touches.
Sometimes I wonder what the ancient Greeks meant when they sang: “As long as you live, shine!” Maybe they wanted us to be shining beacons in our lives to shed light upon eachothers. Now, when the Celebration of Light is near, we all can lit our own lights and give warmth to the others.
Let’s shine!

Independent?

Sometimes, like now when it's Finnish National Day - 06.12.2008 - 90 years of "freedom", I wonder what on Earth is to be independent? Not an easy concept at all.

Artists are so dependent on many things, mostly connections and sometimes as something as unpredictable as luck or plain coincidence. That's life folks! You can never know and that requires that strange thing called coping up with the uncertainties. Uncertain, that's what an artists life and freedom and being independent is all about.
Ultimately, there is the question of money. You know, the thing that they say makes the World go around. Hmm...er...I guess that nobody would choose this profession based only on the facts of income. There was a study of Finnish artists and they claimed that at our 50's we MAY reach the level of income that our peers on other fields have enjoyed quite a long time. On the other hand, the same study suggested that we are far more happy in our profession than the average 'Joe - the plummer'.

Now when the uncertainties of economics are here again, I hope people to scan their beliefs of satisfieing life. It might be that there is something outside all that talk of profit and financial scams. In my profession the finances are the realities only as far we think them providing the possibilities, as I suppose in most cases, but would I change my profession and lifestyle because of just the cause of better gains. This, I suppose is the difference between large public and 'Joe - the plummer' types compared to artists. I would not change position just for a better deal. I have the best job in the World already.

Hope you all enjoy your independencies. Enjoy it, while it's yours.

The picture was taken on a journey to Koh Samed Island near Chon Buri. Nice place but I am not a big fan of islands. There might not be a boat available...

Kaukana Suomesta

Ajattelin tässä kirjoittaa muutaman sanan suomeksi, sitä kun pyydettiin. Henkisesti taiteilija tuntuu aina olevan hieman vereslihalla. Johtuu varmaan siitä, että on esillä joskus töidensä kautta, ne kun voivat olla aika henkilökohtaisia tunnustuksia tai fiiliksiä. Ulkopuolinen ei välttämättä näe niissä mitään intiimiä, mutta taiteilijalle ne ovat sitä. Joskus tuntuu, että nettikirjoittelukin on henkilökohtaista ja siksi aika paljastavaa. Kuka näitä mahtaa lukea? Ja miten kuvat sitten vaikuttavat katsojaansa vai onko meillä nyt jo sellainen informaatioähky ettemme pysty tai halua ottaa vastaan lisää ärsykkeitä?

Täällä olen joskus muutenkin aika kontaktissa erilaiseen kulttuuriin. Moni varmaan ajattelee sen olevan helppoa elää toisenlaisessa todellisuudessa, mutta se on ihmeellinen asia, miten omaa kulttuuriaan, kieltään, tapojaan ja jopa ilmastoa vuodenaikoineen joskus kaipaa. Kyllä – jopa Suomen ilmastoa. Täällä kaukana ei oikeastaan ole vuodenaikoja siinä mielessä kuin me suomalaiset sen ymmärrämme. On lämmintä ja lämpimämpää ja kuumaa ja kosteata ja kuivaa ja kuumaa, mutta sellaisia vuodenaikoja kuin syksy tai talvi tarjoavat ei täällä ole. Ei ehkä ole melankoliaakaan, joka jonkun mielestä kuulemma on luova tila valmistaessaan mielentilan muutosta.

Taiteilija on aina kulttuurinsa tuote. Otetaan häneltä pois kieli ja kosketus omaan kulttuuriin. Mitä jää jäljelle? En tiedä, sillä kulttuuriamme kannamme aina mukanamme. Sitten tosin voi alkaa ahdistaa, kun ei tapaa toista suomalaista vaikka pariin kuukauteen. Ehkä tämä on syy, miksi ulkomailla tavatut suomalaiset ovat tavallista ystävällisempiä, ottavat kontaktia ja puhuvat mielellään toistensa kanssa. Olen tavannut neljän vuoden aikana vain yhden suomalaisen, jonka kanssa en tullut toimeen ja siihen oli syynä puhtaasti henkilön runsas alkoholinkäyttö.

Nyt teen töitä tulevaa näyttelyä varten, kuten jo viimeiset toistakymmentä vuotta. Joskus kyllästyttää, mutta niin kai kaikissa hommissa joskus. Joku muuten kysyi minulta, odotanko inspiraatiota ennen kuin aloitan työt? Vastasin, että sitä odotellessa kyllä tulisi nälkä ja noutaja aika äkkiä. Mietin, odotetaanko muissa ammateissa inspiraatiota. Tuskin. Kyllä kaikissa hommissa on niitä tylsiä ja valmistavia hommia vaikka muille jakaa.

Hyvää itsenäisyyttä!

Painting as a Diary

I like something what Picasso said. He suggested that painting was merely one way of keeping a diary. I have noticed that my feeling greatly effects the results. Depending the day, of course!

Art lovers

ART LOVERS - THOSE WONDERFUL PEOPLE!

Being an artist is quite a task since one is his own secretary, marketer, producer, publicist, PR person and so on - endlessly. I can easily forget people who actually love art and its makers. I had an opurtunity to have an exhibition in a small gallery of Liisa Ekquist this year. It raelly is a small one but the more lovely, too.

Liisa and Juhani are wonderful, warm-hearted art lovers. There are not many like them. The place they have chosen is an old house near the center of Noormarkku. A small town that few go to see an exhibition. People visiting the place are mostly local and for this very reason people like them are so important. There would be nothing without them! This is like offering people free peak to the world of art. No cost there.

I suppose this used to be the way of early art lovers all over the World. Showing images and works of art to their friends, colleagues and even to the normal people sorrounding them. Not being selfish, these people try to share their passion to others and convince the overall public of the value of art. This, of course, mostly on their own cost and freetime.

Thank you Liisa and Juhani that there are people like you around! Thank you a lot!

Living In Siam Studio

I f someone wonders why I like to stay in Thailand, there is a simple explanation to it. Namely the worth of my money. As a 'poor' artist I have to count what's left after a painting period and how can I eat and enjoy my life. Eat & Enjoy? Yep. Even we artists need to do these two things. Personally I think it's a shallow lie that best art is done in poor circumstances. Nobody expects - let's say - violinist to become world known playing on the streets and living in shack. I believe if ones poverty is of that magnitude there is little room for creativity.

Here in the Land Of Smile, my euro buys five times more than I could ever afford in Europe (Finland). The materials are the same, made by the same companies, under same product brands and so on. And what is best is that one can have roomy studio apartment where to enjoy ones life. Now I have lovely 2nd floor apartment about 70 square meter and they clean it every other day, bring me new water bottles and change for the linen. There is cable TV and everything is new. I pay as much 14.000 Baht a month (=about 300 euro). Where I come from I could probably get a garage with that money. No heating of course...

Here we have some work in progress pics...

Four Graphic Prints

These prints were created for my exhibition in Helsinki. They were a series of prints related to poetry of Eeva-Liisa Manner. One of my favorite poets. I don't know whether she has ever been published in English but doubt it since her poetry is quite attached to Finnish language and rather difficult if not impossible to translate into a full extent.

First I painted these images in the old fashion oil colors and later started to work as redrawing them for screen. I like this kind of transformation since it gives me time to change things I don't like and take time to take the work a bit further. So they may look works that were done in a short time but actually achieving the feeling that I wanted, it took more than two weeks just to draw the films I needed for the screen.

I hope people see them as flexible and sort of dream of an alternative World - just like poetry suggests...

Beginning of Art Talk...

I have contemplated quite a while to open a blog to show some of my own images and say a word or two about artist's profession.
I am a professional artist working at the moment in Thailand. Originally I am from Finland and go back there every now and then to showcase my work.

I feel that art has a lot to offer to our World, especially at the times when economy is faulting. People tend to think too much about money-related issues and much less about things that really matter - at least to me.

I hope You - as reader will enjoy my blog and if I wake up some thoughts the better.

This first pic is from the year 2000. It is from a series of gouache paintings where I combined gouache and silk screen. The Holiday Inn chain purchased quite a few of these artworks to their hotel in Salmisaari, Helsinki. They are there at display on the corridors and rooms.

I have tried to explore different materials and printing options since new and exciting always makes me see the huge potential in art.
I hope this kicks in my blog.