Antti Keitilä (b. 1966) started working with the fumage technique, also known as soot drawing, in 2018. The artist is interested in nature-related themes that stem from the technique based on the use of a natural material. He creates misty images on paper using smoke from burning birch bark. His works fall somewhere between conceptuality and informalism.
Chance and accepting it as part of an artwork is an element that fascinates the artist in terms of this technique. As a real flame cannot be fully controlled, one has to embrace the uncontrolled and make it a part of the work. Chance is characteristic of this technique that in the work entitled Tuohi (Bark) takes a conceptual form that refers to itself. The grayish black soot marks drawn on white paper with the smoke from the birch bark form a pattern that resembles our images of a birch tree. In the drawing, the theme and technique in a way chase each other.
The image is a sign of movement. The sooty waves created by the lines of the sea (Meri) required constant strokes. The grid-like Kukkia (Flowers) started with a rhythm, by bringing the flame up close to the paper and then moving it away. In Vastaranta (Opposite Shore), repetition creates a mirror image, and the landscape is reflected on the water. At first glance, the work resembles the Rorschach test.
The fumage technique allows one to understand works in a new way. Kuu (The Moon) was created during a full moon with the help of a kettle grill. The artist placed the paper horizontally on top of a round grill, blackened the surrounding area with soot and allowed a small amount of smoke to cover the white moon. The contrast between the bright moon against the black night sky is impressive. Together the works in the exhibition create a landscape-like entity that makes one want to calm down.
31.10.2021 Emmi Halmesvirta
