Travelling West and other paintings 2011-2013
"Travelling West" was the title of my exhibition at Gallery Himmelblau, Tampere, in May 2012. It consisted of paintings, drawings and ROP sculptures.
I painted only few works during 2011 because I was concentrating on ROP sculpture projects and I simpy did not have time to do everything. And I was also secretly glad that I didn't have the time, because I was at the crossroads with into what direction would I take my painting next. I wanted to find out some new themes after working with the same male character for the last 8 years. But it was kind of hard! In the end of the year I sketched up couple of big canvases, and coming back from holiday in the beginning of 2012 I was just carried away with them. I made big landscapes, no characters at all and it felt great! I added some marks from civilization though, buildings, vehicles, campfires, trash etc., for some reason I felt it important to point out that the human presence is there, although nobody was to be seen.
I continued through 2013 with the same themes, landscapes, nature, cityscapes. Somebody pointed out funnily that am I sure about my direction in the West, because the paintings seem to be much more Oriental oriented. I guess that was right, I have always loved Asia and the visual influences from there are quite easily recognized from my works. I just liked the idea of travelling, or moving, and "Go West, Young Man, Make a Fortune!" was ringing in my head and I was happy for the new start and the new themes. "Travelling West" became also a title for the massive painting with a blue train and a rollercoaster track somewhere in the red desert, it is still one of my favourites from this period.
