Trine Pedersen + Tiro Kontinen

These next few posts will be about exhibitions I went to on my holidays -

First - Trine Pedersen + Tiro Kontinen

3 islands - a series of three international artists workshops 2007-8 on Scottish islands
2 artists -  Danish artist Trine Pedersen and Tero Kontinen from Finland met at the North Uist workshop
1 exhibition - since meeting, they have worked together, collaborating on the same drawings

Some of my favourites from their first exhibition together -
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(detail of first image)

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(detail of first image)

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"We have been doing drawings together actively since 2008. Working this way is a visual playground for us and an artistic conversation as well. The pictures are created over a period of time by layering elements, colours and overlapping images. We both have a great interest with collage-like working, to add different and contrasting elements to the same picture to create various states of visual tension.

Normally when we are beginning with a drawing there is no particular leading theme in mind. The beginning can be a small fragment of a form or an accidental splash of ink and the picture starts growing instinctively almost like an organic process. Small fragments start to create a bigger picture, images flow inside images. The work is considered to be ready when we are both satisfied and we accept it. During the time of the drawing we are creating parallel realities, something that resembles science-fiction stories.

Working together opens a whole new world of possibilities for creating living pictures. It is always a great thrill and you never know what you will have in the end, most probably it's something you wouldn't create just by working alone and there is a huge amount of challenge to keep the visual tension and intensity in the picture - not to let it fall into a dead end. One needs a great deal of curiosity and interest to willingly take the risks of an exploration.

The leading theme in our drawings has been the drawing itself. Drawings have their own inner logic and vocabulary and one cannot see immediate difference if the picture has been made in a quiet island or in a noisy urban environment. We have made drawings during our travels and the drawings have been travelling between us. The experience of travelling is one source for imagination and the drawings will have a life of their own. In the end the drawings are about islands just because we say that they are."  - TP + TK



The most beautiful shapes and colours.

-sb