by Fragments VI
FRAGMENTS VI
archival inkjet on Hahnemuhle Wm.Turner paper
61.5 x 82.5 cm. (24.25″ x 32.5″)
I am pleased to say that my latest piece in this series is now printed and I am very happy with it.
The FRAGMENTS series may be seen anytime on one page by clicking on Fragments under PRINTWORKS on the left bar, and this link of course.
March 16, 2012 in Digital printmaking, Fragments, Printworks by Marja-Leena
Such a great series, and I like this one of the best, though I’m also rather taken with the earlier ones with the upright elements.
More circles inside circles. Odd how little bits of sea-wrack when pushed into circles can make one think of Neolithic circles! I like the way the porous shards interact with the more dimly-seen background circles.
Lucy, I’m glad you like this series. The first three vertical pieces are a little different in feel from the later horizontal pieces, aren’t they, even though they all have certain common elements?
Marly, yes, more circles. An obsession? Are circles a primal kind of image? Those “porous shards” are these previously shown bones, stones & fossils. Interesting how some earlier photos and scans later show up in my work. I wish you could see this print full size to see these details better as well as the brighter colours.
Marja-Leena!
Tuo olisi hyvä JATULINTARHA. Circles is a very old rite, and I haven’t really heard what they were really.
Some sanctuary, maybe. By people who were here first, perhaps.
I am quite sure that inuits have something same, some places that have hardly nothing but rocks. Alaska, Aleuts?
I love your Fragments!
Hei Ripsa! I’m so very pleased you like this series, thank you.
Mikä on ‘jatulintarha’, en löydä sanakirjasta? I don’t know that Finnish word. Possibly ‘seidas’ or ‘stone circles’, ‘standing stones’, runes, labyrinths? They all seem to have been used by ancient peoples for some kind of ceremonies or rituals, or as you say, sanctuary. Seidas are very common in Russian Karelia and in the Canadian arctic. They do all relate to my interest in prehistoric art, including circles, and I’ve written about some of these. Thanks for the observation, Ripsa.
Ripsa, I found the word “jatulit’ in the Finnish wikipedia. They are said to be mythical giants from pre Lapp days, and were noted for building labyrinths and other things with huge stones. Here is the article. Intriguing, I like it! Thanks again.
The development of this series is fascinating. I find that this latest one is more calm and settled than the previous ones. I suspect that the qualities of the metal are more zingy in reality, but they are still effective even on my small laptop. I love the contrast of the man-made, the man-manipulated, and the natural, along with what man has made of the natural. Lovely.
The level of technology we have reached now is miraculous too – except of course when it goes wrong. It is dispoprotionately irritating when that happens – as in my having to fill in my name etc. each time I comment on your blog now, despite each time ticking the remember box. Hey ho.
Like Lucy, this is my favourite of the series so far. I love the different shapes, patterns and textures and in this one particularly the play of scale and perspective.
Olga, thanks for your always perceptive observations. I was a little uncertain about how some things worked here but you’ve helped make me feel more posistive about it, as have the other commenters.
Again, I’m sorry about the irritating technical glitches that still haven’t been fixed here, they annoy me no end!
Jean, so pleased that you like this so much! It is very interesting for me to have these responses for I’m uncertain at the moment which is my favourite of this series. Of course I like them all but I think I need to hang them all on a large wall and study them together. I get so excited with each piece as it comes along that I don’t know if I like the earlier ones as much. Probably common feelings for most artists…
Marja-Leena!
I’m so stupid, I always forget that you did not go to school in Finland! You write well enough Finnish as if you have moved as a youth over there. So here I kick myself!
We were told about Jatulintarha (tarha=limited area, closed area) in our school, but I also remember that no teacher knew what those sites actually were.
As far as I know, it is still not known. The giants, of course, because they are very big in size.
But seita, Marja-Leena, is not Carealian, but Sabmi (Sami) people’s holy places. They’re up in the area of Lapland in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia, mainly there in Kuolla peninsula.
Also their meaning is unclear. Interesting if they are circumpolar, but not surprising.
Ripsa, you are not stupid (maybe just a little forgetful). My Finnish is quite poor, really, but maybe equal with your English 🙂 but we manage.
In English we use the spelling ‘seida’ (Finns don’t use the letter ‘d’ too often, I think). You might know that I researched and wrote a few posts some years ago about the seidas in northern Russian Karelia which, you are right, is Saami territory. And seidas are not always stone circles but can also be standing stones or balanced stones and other forms like the inuksuit in northern Canada. I noted that some researchers have said seidas are somewhat circumpolar and even in Korea. I think humans everywhere from very early times have created symbolic and artistic works with whatever materials they have. Rocks are the most durable of records.
If you are interested in reading some of my old posts on seidas, here are two you may enjoy:
Karelia’s rock art and history
Flying Stones of Lapland
Kiitos! Thanks for this interesting discussion, Ripsa
How very lively this is.
zhoen, funny you should say that. I was just watching a gorgeous video on YouTube and this piece went into my head as being something that would look cool in motion, the various elements in slow flight before finding their places. But I don’t know how to do that, so it’ll just stay in my head….
I wrote the other evening about just how much I like this one but the comment disappeared. Ah,the complexities of electronic communications.. Now I see we’ve gone into some esoteric and very fascinating territories of Lapland mythology. How neat and I will explore the links. I love the cyclic, spiraling qualities of this piece and the way it’s amplified and tied down with man-made elements. I’d like to see it full-size and well understand how much is lost when an image is squished to screen size.
Susan, did my wacky spam thingy capture you too? Mine are getting similarly caught, meanwhile the real spam gets through, sigh. Sorry for losing yours, so thank you for trying again. Your thoughts and observations on my work are always very much appreciated.
As for Lapland mythology, it certainly wasn’t in the forefront of my thoughts when making this. It’s interesting what viewers see, sometimes coloured by their own backgrounds. As you know, I’ve had a long interest in some of these ancient myths, stones and artforms so its natural for these to affect my work even subconsciously. I find that very intriguing.
Simple love it!! Get the feeling that you are looking out of a window.
Cathy, glad you like it. Thanks for dropping by.
Circle and fragments always appeal to me. Love this work of yours. So many textures.
hhb, I’m so pleased, thanks so much for coming by and letting me know.