MG 05. THEME
Finnish Modernism. From colour theory to problematics of the pictorial surface.
MEDIA RELEASE
MG 05.THEME
Finnish modernism. From a colour theoretical approach to problematics of surface and plasticity.
The MG 05.THEME exhibition focuses on one of the most prominent artists and theoreticians of post-war modernism in Finland, Ahti Lavonen (1928-1970). Known as a master of informalism, Lavonen is also included in the collection of the Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation, a collection whose relation to informalism has traditionally been perceived as detached or even opposite.
The breakthrough of abstract art took place in Finland only after the wars, although influences from such artists as Cézanne and Kandinsky were present almost half a century earlier. In the late fifties, concretism, the “hard edge” abstract art was paralleled with a softer and more lyrical approach, which made informalism as the mainstream of nonfigurative art both in Finland and in Europe.
As Erik Kruskopf noted, informalism did not appeal to Maire Gullichsen – no matter how popular it became in Finland in the early sixties. The main focus of the collection of the Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation at the Pori Art Museum is on abstract art elucidating the phenomena and examining the problematics of the basic surface elements, shape and colour. The Finnish core of the collection consists of works exploring plastic form by teachers and students of the Free Art School founded in 1935, and art reflecting the ideas of Galleria Artek.
In the early sixties informalists had to justify their artistic notions in the same way as concretists had done in the previous decade when the general public still missed figurative images. Ahti Lavonen, who became one of the leaders of his generation, evolved into an extraordinarily eloquent artist, who boldly expressed his views on timely issues in art.
Ahti Lavonen was not interested in painting with spontaneous gestures typical of informalism but specialised in studying the expressive potentials of materials. Stressing the spiritual values of the school and avoiding motion in the picture surface, Lavonen pursued harmony and peace, a meditative emptiness, a “pause”.
On Maire Gullichsen’s initiative, a memorial exhibition was arranged at Galleria Artek after Ahti Lavonen’s death with works from the years 1966 – 1970. The MG 05. THEME exhibition is built around Ahti Lavonen’s works belonging to the collection of the Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation, completed with works from the Art collection of the city of Pori and deposit collections of Pori Art Museum.