Hair
Hair
etching & drypoint
22 x 18.5 cm.
This is a small print for me, the image is roughly 11 x 10 cm. (4.5″ x 4″).
by Marja-Leena
by Marja-Leena yesterday morning
One of the photos I took yesterday morning – can you guess what it is? **
Compare it to these photos taken about 6 months ago on December 5th, 2004.
** Check out Answers.com
by Marja-Leena primitive/primitiivi
I occasionally visit and explore PrimitiiviNet*, an interesting website about archaeology and anthropology news, articles, books, and links to other related sites. It is written in a slightly disconcerting (to non-Finns) mix of English and Finnish by a Finn, Pekka Vaartela. What is unusual about the author, to me, is his personal interest in ancient spear throwers called Atlatl in Aztec or Woomera in Australia, having been introduced to it by an article “Atlatl – The Stone Age Kalashnikov” in New Scientist*. Have a look at this photo of Vaartela* practising spear throwing in this Finnish article. There’s even a World Atlatl Association of members who study the weapon’s mechanics, replicate them and practise using them.
*expired links have been removed
Have a chuckle over the image below, from his site (creator unknown).
by Marja-Leena Let Down Your Hair
Let Down Your Hair
etching, drypoint & collage element (jute string)
75 x 56 cm.
by Marja-Leena Sacral Spaces
Here’s an interesting exhibition of Finnish architecture that I look forward to seeing, right here in Vancouver! (links mine)
Hughes Condon Marler: Architects in collaboration with Emily Carr Institute’s Charles H. Scott Gallery presents Sacral Spaces – Modern Finnish Churches, June 10 to July 24, 2005 at Emily Carr Institute’s Concourse Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
As the only Canadian presentation of this atmospheric exhibit, visitors can view photographs, videos and scale models of 12 strikingly modern and evocative churches built in Finland after World War II. It was during this time a large number of churches and chapels were built across Finland, and their construction brought together many of the country’s prominent architects, artists and interior designers to create extraordinary spaces in the new Finnish Modern style. Ethereal light, clean lines and sparse spaces unite these uniquely Finnish designs, Alvar Aalto’s The Church of the Three Crosses among them.
Built as the result of architectural competitions, these sleek monuments to modernism – with feelings of nature and sparseness of ornamentation –reinterpreted the way churches could look. Highlights such as Alvar Aalto’s Church of the Three Crosses, completed in 1958, and Kristian Gullichsen’s Kauniainen Church, 1983, prove that the faithful can be transported by beautiful modern architecture.
Sacral Space is an international exhibition with stops in Tokyo, New York, Washington D.C., and Mexico City. The exhibition is organized by the Museum of Finnish Architecture in collaboration with Tokyo Design Centre and the Church Resources Agency in Finland.
Via Architectural Review. Please view this Postcard [PDF] for exhibition times and schedules of talks.
There are short reviews and a few photos in ArchitectureWeek and the website of the Embassy of Finland in Washington.
by Marja-Leena Beethoven
Last night we enjoyed the first free downloads of Beethoven’s music from BBC Radio, thanks to mirabilis. The BBC is broadcasting all of Beethoven’s works this week, and some available to download free the day after. I think only the symphonies are available, but I do wish my favourite piano sonatas would be as well. If you like Beethoven as much as we do, check it out!
We actually have a treasured record collection of all of Beethoven’s works, the Beethoven Bicentennial Collection by Deutsche Grammophon that was made on his 200th anniversary, rarely played now. We just haven’t gotten around to going through the rigamarole of digitizing these, so these free downloads are a treat. I played these through iTunes on my Mac, with the Visualizer turned on (when not composing or reading blogs). I love the Visualizer with its ever shifting colours and designs in constant motion to the music – very trance inducing! There is something about letting the eyes have a place to focus while listening.
Once we’ve got all these downloads together from BBC, they’ll go on our iPod which we usually keep on our bedside connected to inMotion speakers (which are much better than the speakers on this Mac). These come with us when we travel so we can play our favourite music in the car and in our rooms. I don’t mean to be advertising, but these have really increased our music-listening pleasure when away from the CD player in the living room.
Speaking of classical music, Chandrasutra* has started a series ‘Adventures in classical music’, with the first part on Schubert. If Beethoven comes up, this could be my personal contribution. In my piano-lesson days Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata was my absolute favourite. I think I might still be able to play it though pretty rustily in that fast part!
*Chandrasutra’s blog no longer exists, sadly. Link removed.
by Marja-Leena artists’ quotes
Words of my own fail me today, but these artists’ words sustain and inspire me:
“Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye.. it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.” – Edvard Munch
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way–things I had no words for.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” – Pablo Picasso
“The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.” – Frida Kahlo
“I like making work in my studio day in and day out, but I’m not so interested in the business side.” – Jenny Saville
“There were only five galleries in those days, and the artists really depended on each other socially, psychologically, and even critically. It’s impossible now. Business sure screwed up the art world universally.” – Robert Rauschenburg
(From artquotes.net)
An older post with quotations on art
by Marja-Leena Silent Messengers: Hoodoos III
Silent Messengers: Hoodoos III
Inkjet & collagraph on paper, inkjet on clear mylar layer
91.5 x 58.3 cm.
Please see Silent Messengers: Hoodoos I for more information about this series.
by Marja-Leena artist blogger in Georgia
Welcome, Willkommen! to another artist blogger, Berlin born artist Hans Heiner Buhr, who lives in Tbilisi, Georgia. He has recently joined the blogosphere with New Images where he posts some of his work, talks about art, his family and life in Georgia. Hans also writes about his very interesting travels in Georgia and the Caucasus mountains, with some great photos at Kaukasus. I’m always excited to meet other artists in other countries.
A big thank you for the lovely image and unique “Greetings from Hans” – nice to meet you!
by Marja-Leena Journey of Mankind
“Who were our ancestors? From where did we originate? If we came out of Africa, what factors governed our routes? And when? Now finally this interactive map reveals an exciting journey of opportunity and survival, confirmed by genetic science and documented by ancient rock art.”
The Bradshaw Foundation, in association with Stephen Oppenheimer, presents a virtual global journey of man over the last 160,000 years as the world was peopled.
Great stuff – lots to study and come back to often! I’ve mentioned the excellent Bradshaw site a few times in the past, regarding the rock art of South Africa and Australia, and concerning endangered art.