STORIES OF THE MOST FASCINATION PERIODS ON MY CREATIVE JOURNEY
It is not just a saying that in your future you meet your past. And it all started with the Sea, since my childhood
it is time to look back and dream…
A message to evryone around the world: PLEASE, NOT TO LOSE HOPE. Every night the Sun goes down, but it rises again and shines on all of us.
In ancient China, when people heard the sound of gongs all over the land, they stopped what they were doing to think: What am I doing? How am I doing it? And is this the right time and thing to do? Now the gongs are sounding all over the world - in 2020 our time stopped. We just have to be patient and wait to be able to start again in front of an empty canvas, in the light of new hope and new quality. Now we have to give ourselves an opportunity to relax, so that we can use the both sides of our brain that have been blocked by stress, limiting habits and prejudices.
Aili Vint: I have to admit, jokingly, that artist is like a retired circus horse, who spends her days eating grass on a lovely meadow. As soon as she hears circus music coming from far away, she starts prancing to the tune, having fun. Dream big and dare to fail.
a story about why I became an artist
Because I promised! — I remember I was no longer a small child, when I suddenly found myself standing in front of a real Sea. The Sea was incredibly vast and open and the bluest of blue. I was enthralled by the Sea. The Sea was smooth as a giant mirror, just like the heaven on the earth. I watched my feet through the water and wondered how an artist might paint the translucency of the Sea. It seemed so impossible. —Yes, I will be an artist! — I AM PAINTING.
Aili Sarv 1945 Aili Vint 2000
my life’s first magical touch of the Sun
EVENING FALLS 1972 Oil on canvas, 92 x 115 cm, KUMU ART MUSEUM
Before the Sun went down I watched, mesmerized, as Sun picked sunset colors and started painting on the Sea. Suddenly the world became unbelievably colorful. A powerful glow of colors was in front of me and behind me, above me and below me; I even felt it under my feet. At that moment I was sure that there wasn’t one painter who could paint like that.
—-'When I grow up I will paint a Sun so, so red hot, that when you look at it, you'll be dripping with sweat!",
I boasted to the other children. —Yes! Yes, I will be an artist! — I AM PAINTING!
we used to play a game of bathing in the Sea
During the hot summer days, in our dry and dusty hometown (of Rakvere), we used to play a game of bathing in the Sea. One of us would close her eyes and the other would lead her from warm sunlight into cool shadow. The one with the eyes closed had to sense the difference and quickly yell whether she was in the Sea or out of the Sea. Aili Vint The Sea Book Tallinn 2011 Tulikiri
carefree student time 1962-1967
ANK '64 - THESE GOLDEN SIXTIES!
The ANK group was formed in 1964. under the aegis of the Student Scientific Society (ÜTÜ) of the State Art Institute of the Estonian SSR.
Estonian Art Critic Boris Bernstein: ANK '64 - AN ARTISTIC PHENOMENAN. The tradition of ANK '64 can be regarded archaic, presuming that this is not „in“ in the intellectual world. Still, it seems to me that the values still preserved by the masters who once formed the first organically born artistic group amidst the deadly structured plasma of soviet artistic life,- these values have worth still, even at the end of the century.
Members of the ANK'64 artistic group: Jüri Arrak, Tõnis Laanemaa, Enno Ootsing, Malle Leis, Aili Vint, Kristiina Kaasik, Tiiu Pallo–Vaik, Marju Mu tsu, Tõnis Vint, Vello Tamm.
C H E E R F U L P O P F O R E V E R ! 1967- 1979
It is not just a saying that in your future you meet your past. Upon reviewing the work I've done throughout my lifetime, it has now become my passion to bring back these Golden Sixties! — Cheerful Pop-Art Forever! — It’s just like opening an old bottle of high quality wine.
But something still is on my mind. —The story of my destiny.— In the beginning of my career I learned (in 1970) that there is an acclaimed artist named Ay-O in Japan, who uses the same kind of striped gradient motifs in his paintings. He was already famous at that time and I might have been pegged as a plagiarist: — Someone named “Ay-Li “ does the same thing as the Japanese Ay-O… — I abruptly gave up the style I had invented, despite the fact that it held a lot of promise for development.
It was a pity, of course, but I actually enjoyed this unexpected turn in my work, which gave me the opportunity to start painting the Sea instead, something that I had already dreamt of as a child.
JOY 1967 Gouache 75x 68 cm Tartu Art Museum + BLOSSOMING 1971 Gouache 75x 68 cm KUMU Art Museum
AILI VINT: "MY DEAR PROFESSORS, ALLOW ME TO SHOW HOW THE PAPER-SEA WAS BORN.
During the period when I was building light sculptures, my soul longed to paint the Sea. As always. Suddenly I found myself folding the Sea out of small piece of paper. Looking at it, I got an idea. I took a large oak frame (150 x 190 cm) and folded a big paper Sea to fit that frame. As a sculpture has to be viewed from both sides, it was exhibited in the middle of the room.
At the opening I heard two elderly gentlemen talk about it: “What has this Aili Vint done!” — “But she is allowed to do it. She can paint the Sea.” This was my Art Academy professor Paul Luhthein.
how my White Sea was first born
One morning in my childhood, when I stepped into our back yard, I saw a snow-white sea that smelled of Grandma’s clean sheets, billowing all over the yard. At that time I was certain the White Sea was really white. This is how an illusion of reality is created and the Paper -Sea came to my life. It was 45 years later when it actually came to life!
MODEL OF THE FOLDED SEA
NOW I AM AN ARTIST
Aili Vint: Now I am an artist and I will show you this glorious moment, my life's first magical touch of the Sun in my childhood. This was my first and most passionate infatuation. A strange feeling overwhelmed me, not yet fully comprehensible and primal bynature, a mutual love affair between me and the Sea. This impression was so powerful that I felt the beauty physically hurting me.
You see, its true! When people ask me how long it took me to complete this or that painting, I am always tempted to answer: A long, long time – since childhood…
SO SO RED HOT II
SO SO RED HOT II 2019 Digital collage recycled of original works by AILI VINT:
R E D H O T S U N 1 9 6 9 Gouache painting projected of original works by AILI VINT:, :28 x 20 cm +
S U N S E T F L A S H 2011 Oil on canvas 110 x 191 cm, artist’s collection+ +
This digi-collage in my meditative installation could be designed on the whole room as large as the exhibition space allows, even on the ceiling and the floor...
G o l d e n S i x t i e s variety has offered a lot of fun
Estonian artist T I I T P Ä Ä S U K E painted this picture in 1981 Kumu Art Museum
S M I L E I N P A R I S 1986
SEA & ME
AILI WRESTLING THE SEA
„You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed“, wrote A.Saint-Exupéri
Aili Vint: I enjoy painting the Quiet Sea, because painting a mirror-smooth surface is the most challenging and by far the hardest to do.– Have you tried to put the baby to bed, when he does not want to sleep? - In order to get the Sea to lie down on the canvas, you have to wrestle it for a long time. But one fine day I feel that now is the right time and then painting succeeds again with surprising ease – a if someone else was working inside me and making incredible things happen. As if the Sea itself was painting my Sea.— I am the Sea! — The Sea is painting me.
story of the primeval call:
THE SEA SMILES FROM FAR OFF 2018
THE SEA SMILES FROM FAR OFF 2018 This big digicollage: what combined from Aili Vint’s original paintings: (1962–2018) and could be designed as large as the exhibition space allows, is even on the ceiling and the floor..
II magical touch of the Sun
UNBEARABLE BEAUTY AND INEXPLICABLE PAIN
BEAUTY AND LOSS 2018 Digital collage recycled of original works by AILI VINT:
S U N S E T 1969 Detail of gouache painting, 75 x 63 cm +
S U N S E T F L A S H 2011 Oil on canvas 110 x 191 cm, artist’s collection+ +
GRIEF 1970 Gouache painting, 75 x 63 cm , artist’s collection
FAREWELL TO M/S ESTONIA
1994
AILI VINT SEA & STORMY MOOD 2018
Digital collage combined from Aili Vints original works :+
SEA UNDER THE DARK SKY 1975 Oil on canvas 92 x 115 cm Kumu art Museum
STORMY MOOD 1972 Gouache painting 35,5 x 35 cm , artist’s collection
grief
859 people died on september 1994, en route from Tallinn to Stockholm, in the "Estonia" ferry disaster. But we do not know how many people were left behind, mourning their loved ones.
nobody know how unbearably painful are the bright colors of grief
Aili Vint: This meditative installation “FAREWELL 1994 calls upon the human experience as a commemoration of those lost at sea. Every year on September 28th, in the countries that the victims where from, people bring flowers to the memorial. The mood is always cold and miserable. I hope this meditative project will change all that. All info about F A R E W E L L TO M/ S E S T O N I A on my next page.
dreaming big: I WANT TO CREATE AN EXHIBITION FOR THE MOURNERS IN THE TALLINN ART HALL
“Estonian marine painter Aili Vint current focus is VR and digital light installations inspired by water. The latest piece “Farewell” is a memorial designed for the sinking of MS Estonia on the Baltic Sea, September 28th, 1994. Claiming 852 lives, it was one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century. Playing with perception of horizons, the artwork calls upon the human experience as a commemoration of those lost at sea.”
(Aesthetica Magazine, December 2018)
Aili Vint: I sincerely belive that to some extent, art will help alleviate the pain of loss
meditative time- and space-specific installation into St. John's Church gallery’s
should be as big as the exhibition space allows.
As soon as you step into the white outer space, just like a passageway, your eyes get immersed in the light. You will move in the white space that takes you to endless light. Eternity.
INSIDE THE SUNSET
I really hope that the Sea and the Sun together will bring the peace of mind back to the mourners
When you arrive to the inside space, you will find yourself in the fiery sunset. You are immersed in it. A powerful sturm of the colours is all around you, even underneath your feet. You will feel the physical touch of the warm Sea and the Sun.
MY S E A E N D S H E R E
T H E S E A E N D S H E R E (dedicated to the Alessandro Baricco) 2007 Oil on canvas 150 x 190 cm artist’s collection
I started painting the Sea again only in 2007 because after experiencing the physical fluidum of white glow, the return to the world of colours was not easy. To come back from the silence and cleanness, after being touched by light, is a real ordeal.
