Pig Blood and Belly Dance, Colour Game and Mysticism...
On 3 March 1993 fascinating contrasts were exposed on an exhibition at Pikk Street 7.
A mystical artistic event, named "The Contrasts", was created to mystical numbers. Vacuous enough for a practical sensible mind, but pleasantly vivid for a stroller in different worlds.
There was a sufficient number of contrasts on the spot. Stepping directly from the turmoil on the street into the Middle Ages exhibition hall, were modern pictures had been exposed, at once created first two contrasts. These appealed to me and I stayed to wait for the following ones. And they arrived - Finnish ladies Leila Luukka and Tiina Vainio and Estonian men Ove Büttner and Rainer Kurm. Two women and two men. An important natural contrast! (The works of ladies thereat externally seemed more powerful than the beautiful works of art by manly men. It has been noticed before that the strength of women is inconspiciously hidden inside. The strength of men is more evidently visible.)
Four different world views, everyone of them carrying its own message. Leila Luukka's mandala composition in mixed technique makes a vigorous and, at the same time, nonexistent impression in its naturalness. She herself provided the following explanation: "My works are born in the morning while concentrating. So it has already been for years. Here they are: "The Left" contains everything that I know, but I do not think of; "The Right" - everything that I have known, but have forgotten about; and "the Golden Mean" - what I feel, but my conscious memory takes no notice of. The row of "The Questions - the Answers" expresses my whole life in its changes. I am an artist and play it visually."
Tiina Vainio's human figures are painted with pig blood, "because human blood was not available," Ove B?ttner announced at the opening of the exposition. The artist had travelled in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. "When two persons with different thoughts confront each other, then only blood results from the conflict. I saw so much blood during my trip that I wanted to paint it out of myself. I tried to create balance by the means of beauty."
Rainer Kurm about his original graphic art: "Six years ago I started with geometric style. Since the spring of 1992 the works have turned softer, more amorphous. This is accompanied with a desire for warm colours. I enjoy playing with forms, the way the works changes by itself..."
Ove Büttner continues the dialogue with French impressionists through painting. Cheerful, radiant colour game that lifts from the ground. This is something that should be experienced in person.
1-2-3-4-5-6-7 contrasts. But this was not all. The Joy (impersonated by Sari Pussinen) danced into the hall to the musical poems with oriental elements by Raimo Purkunen. Colours, tinsel, tinklers, belly dance and body tricks of black people... what a contrast!
The last contrast was created by a shooting group that explored the ongoing process. It should result in a full-length video film about the birth of the work of art.
I counted altogether nine contrasts. A mysticism! What connects them? Cooperation and the fact that they are not just making a pretty picture. All the artists sincerely express their own inner experiences.