Friday 24. May 2002 POHJALAINEN
CANADIAN PRINTMAKERS
ON VISITING EXHIBITION IN VAASA
Images
Traces: An exhibition by three Canadian
printmakers at the Vaasa Art Hall to June16th.
Vaasa Laura Kurko-Kauranen
Canadian print-artists Bonnie Jordan, Marja-Leena Rathje and Steven Dixon
are having an exhibition at the Vaasa Art Hall. They have had numerous solo
and group exhibitions at home and internationally, but now they are exhibiting
together for the first time. And it is happening here in Finland and only in
Vaasa.
The story behind the exhibition begins with the fact that Marja-Leena Rathje’s
roots are in Varkaus, from where she emigrated to Canada as a 5-year-old. Her
Finnish relatives encouraged her to have an exhibition in Finland. Upon her
aunt’s suggestion she applied to Vaasa’s Art Hall, and received
a positive response. The Museum requested that she invite some other Canadian
artists. The three artists met each other at Vancouver’s Capilano College
and noticed that their art had a connection. “An interest in history brought
us together”, they say.
With art and travel grants they were able to make the trip. Besides the exhibition
they intend to learn about printmaking in Finland. In Vaasa they have already
visited with printmaker Juha Tammenpaa. In Helsinki they will visit the Arabia
Printmakers, and also visit Estonia in their 10 day trip.
“It looks like Finnish and Canadian printmakers have a lot in common.
And printshops look similar everywhere”, says Steven Dixon. He believes
that printmaking in Europe is given a greater status and that there are more
print exhibitions, printmakers and galleries specializing in prints.
Traces left by time
Though the trio use different techniques, their works have a similarity of vision
and spirit. They form a harmonious whole as an exhibition. A photograph is a
foundation behind every work, but each artist uses somewhat different techniques
to develop it further. They may utilize computers, traditional etching and photogravure,
which was in use already in the 1800’s and has recently become popular
again among printmakers.
The works go together visually as well as in theme. All are connected one way
or another to time and the traces it leaves behind.
Marja-Leena Rathje uses images of prehistoric art and marks in her creations.
Familiar to Finns are the shaman drum and the elkhead which she found in a Finnish
art history book. She also portrays the effects of evolution and the power of
nature.
She combines her images digitally, develops them with light and prints them
on paper. The technique resembles etching and may be called photo-polymer-intaglio.
“The technique is about 10 years old and still has not found a suitable
name”, she says.
Computers and traditional printmaking hand-in-hand
Bonnie Jordan has immersed into history through her own background. She made
a mask of herself, which she reworked with a computer. She has studied her family
history and visited her roots in Ireland. From that trip are pictures such as
the castle wall and the goatpen. “The computer is for me one tool among
others and at the same time I also do traditional printmaking.” There
are some examples of these in the show.
Steven Dixon is interested in documenting the effects people have on their environment.
He has photographed old factories, mines and mills that no longer have a use
in our information and technology-based society and has developed these onto
photogravure plates. “Europe has preserved a lot more of the old, but
in Canada there is a tendency to always build new over the old”, he relates.
The three artists hope that the Traces exhibition will be exhibiting also in
Canada.
Translation from the original Finnish language by Marja-Leena Rathje