If designing the composition and shapes is the most meaningful activity in the artwork sketching phase, then the painting phase is the most enjoyable in creating the artwork. Especially when you get to make the first splatter of dripping black paint on a clinically white surface or for that matter white on a black surface. For years now, I’ve had a need to create works that rather than being performative are just based on that ‘Here we go!’ splash.
In this exhibition, I challenge myself as an artist and create the works in exactly the opposite way to my earlier approach. I first paint and omit the preparation work such as stencils, allowing the creative process and design to take place simultaneously with the painting phase. I then just play with ‘Here we go!’ splashes, compositions and shapes. However, the tools in the works are still the same, which are what my works on display consist of – orderly spray paint and disorderly water-thinned acrylic paint. This makes the artworks very different in character compared to my earlier ones. Since my own style is important to me, the challenge is also to retain my own distinctive touch even though the topics of the works and the process of creating the works have been turned upside down. Do the artworks convey that they are combinations of the most enjoyable phases of the painting process?
When creating the exhibition and dividing my work into these minimalist elements, I’ve reflected on what these different surfaces and shapes mean, and what kind of moods their combinations create. It has been interesting to explore how much the look of the work is influenced by how quickly I make the ’Here we go!’ splash or how the two-dimensional surface becomes a three-dimensional when I add details after painting. In addition, the same painting finish might appear to transform into a solid item as the background colour changes.
When creating these works, I have also begun to see my earlier works with fresh eyes. Is this some intermediate phase that has been haunting at the back of my mind for years or will this theme still take me somewhere..?
Jussi TwoSeven
