In today's age of biotechnology and the strange creatures of virtual imagery, it seems romantic - and nostalgic - to note that the main theme in printmaker Juho Karjalainen’s art is the human figure. In addition to showing an individual’s skill, art expresses that individual’s way of being in the world. Karjalainen is apparently not as interested in the relationship between man and technology as he is in what it is to contemplate the fundamental questions of existence and morality.

Since 1970, the main theme of his prints has been the nude human figure. For almost 15 years, his work featured mostly nude females. Because of their harmony and balance, they have been referred to as ‘Sunday pictures’. And yet, many of these works were already featuring elements of an astonishing carnal naturalism.

In 1993, the artist moved from the lyrical motifs of females to a more epic and rougher ground by starting to depict men. This period of transition took place simultaneously with changes in the artist’s thinking. His large-scale works with male motifs incorporated elements of his personal life, being also more philosophical and symbolic than his previous works.

During the 25 years of his artistic career, Karjalainen’s approach, and consequently also his imagery and visual language, have changed. His visual expression has become more three-dimensional, whilst his skills in drawing have reached virtuosic heights. It is characteristic of Karjalainen to produce entirely new combinations of aspiration, viewpoint and subject matter that initially seem impossible.

Karjalainen started out in the mid-1970’s as a realist, but later on, figurative motifs served only as points of departure for him. In the spirit of modernism, he aims at constructing pictures based on the conditions of the work itself. His recent work originates in ideas of a single form rising from the unconscious – atmospheres, dreams, feelings etc..

Since the mid-80’s, Karjalainen has been fascinated by (in addition to the human figure) various natural phenomena, such as clouds, or the relation of light and shadow in them; in tempests, rain, water; in the aurora borealis; and by the free impressionistic language of form associated with them. Elements of the spiritual drama of 17th century Baroque can also be sensed in his early works featuring clouds. The artist is primarily interested in the apparent fortuitousness of natural phenomena.

During the last 20 years, Karjalainen has developed his own application of the aquatint technique, which involves him painting with an acid solution on a brass plate treated with resin dust, as if the solution were pigment. The more the acid corrodes the plate, the darker the final printing will be. It is typical for Karjalainen to use two plates in the process. In the 1990’s, the artist also incorporated the use of colour in his prints, usually blue, brown or red. But the major part of his oeuvre remains in black and white.

The aquatint technique he uses resembles oriental ink paintings or the surface of a watercolour painting. Even though the technique involves multiple phases and a great deal of work, he aims at lightness and airiness in his work. According to the artist, a successful print is like ‘wet snow falling off a roof in springtime’.

In print art, a work can be a single print produced with one of the techniques of printmaking or a whole series printed with one or more colours. Each print shows the handiwork of the maker of the plate, and the printer. Printing is the most technical stage of printmaking. Usually Karjalainen prints his series himself.

The prices on the 3 pieces shown above are:

Boatman € 2,100 framed