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Friday, August 10, 2012

Katja Tukiainen at Lönnström Museum in Rauma

It‘s been a long time since I've been in an art show. I‘ve always loved-and-hated art fairs (last time Lille Art Fair this spring), because it‘s so easy to find TONS of inspiration and leave with overdose of ideas and never get to process it all. That's why a one-artist-show is welcome from time to time, though you never know, if there will be something interesting and appealing to you. 

Katja Tukiainen show at Lönnström Musem was definitely of that „never know“-category after I‘ve seen the short description of the event including words girly, love, pink - in my opinion not that ground-breaking. I‘m not that much into pink, or girly, and love in that context could be nothing else as profaned – so far as for expectations.

I was smitten. It took a bit to let all the candy-bonbon-coloured pictures unfold. There was LOTS of pink. Girly, yes. Love – well, may be, but these are so NOT the words I would have taken to speak about what I've seen at her solo-show.

It‘s subtle, and strong at the same time, it‘s sensible and tender, and quirky. It all has a very special sense of colour. It‘s skillful and expressive, yes, it‘s very expressive. And well-considered - consciously or not - but it feels strange and right. The pictures give insight in sort of parallel world filled with more or less imaginable constructs immerged in that surreal light with neon flashes here and there. Her works are authentic and plausible.

Internet searching does not bring it up (Google image search swarms with quirky doodles and really girly girls or tatoos ). And that‘s not what I‘m talking about here. So it's about taking time and going to see the real painted works: with gloss of oil paints, with all the nuances, that no photo can ever catch, with canvas texture and paint layers shining through, all the brush strokes smudged to create a hint of a shape that is just right in place. My favorite is „The white house“   and there is so much to see in it. In the real picture, not on the photo. 

Great work. Chapeau!

I‘m SO inspired and finally got a sence of research direction for another project that has been haunting in my mind since awhile.

In the meantime – my work in progress for new layout of greeting cards.



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