" 4 x 28 = 107 "



" 4 x 28 = 107 "
series of square paintings, 2002 - [ ongoing ]
series has several subseries


Coloristic Painting and an artist Being An Absurd Structure-Maker of 4-sided coloristic paintings ( ongoing )

Since 2004 this series of paintings ( also as a structure ) has been presented in several galleries and other public spaces together with another, also ongoing absurd structure of Tiina Hölli's : a series of hundreds of small sized Artist's Books called epäröintejä lyijykynällä / hesitations with a pencil, 2004 - .   
The square format and the original base material of the first paintings was a deliberate choise of an art student in 2002 : I used thin cardboards of frozen pizza boxes, because they were free, available and I had saved plenty of them over the years. I glued and based each cardboard carefully with several thin gesso layers, but otherwise for me as a beginning artstudent it was simply a carefree way to start painting abstract works in an abundant and relaxed manner with free materials.

The square shape has become essential in my working. Below I am opening more of the background of making this series, and also the essential role this series has played in my art, in my development as an artist and a colorist painter, and in the mysterious, winding phenomenon called the personal growth as a person and a human being.
In the beginning I wanted to make a huge series of small quares - an enormous, changeable large installation of hundreds of small square paintings as a grid on one wall.
"From a formal standpoint, the square format, unlike the rectangle, makes no associative reference to landscape or portrait. The square simply “is”; an archetypal shape that is stable, static, and passive. From a compositional standpoint, the square is perhaps the most difficult shape to energize."
 Pamela Stockamore

I have used several different base materials, made experimental works, combinations and side projects, glued finished paintings on MDF-boards  retaining the same format that I had immediately felt as my own. Gradually it became so dear to me, that I naturally started to cut other works, like photographs, to the square format.
I am not comfortable with selling these works at all. Revealing pricing of " 4 x 28 = 107 " for the records: Painting this series since 2002, the prices of these 24 cm and 25 cm squares have varied 200€-1000€ depending on if they were mounted on MDF, framed, versions, included in subseries, or have somehow a special history, been painted as part of an installation, have been chosen by a jury into an important exhibition, are classics, or if I say so. The average price of the 24 cm squares was first 400€ for some years, then for a few years settled to 600€ with or without frames, then to 1000€ with frames, and now the average price is 1000€. Exceptions occur. For example, with works for sale in TAIKO 2018, all prices have to include transportation and higher commission for international sales.

Main supports and sizes I have used over the years are my original small 24 x 24 cm and 25 x 25 cm thin cardboards cut from frozen pizza boxes. Later also worked on sized 30 x 30 cm, 50 x 50 cm, 60 x 60 cm, 70 x 70 cm and 100 x 100 cm papers, canvases on strechers, fiberboards and thin plastic films. My largest square sized 180 x 180 cm is combined from 9 pieces each sized 60 x 60 cm.
The Absurd 4-Sided Coloristic Structure-Maker Creator has thus spoken.
# 113  |  # 124  |  # 116, 2015,  acrylic on frozen pizza cardboard box each 25 x 25 cm | art & photo © 2015 Tiina Hölli
Because of the nature of this series, I am not responding well to any guidelines given to me about how to deal with these works in any context - how to do my art, in other words that is. That is why it is questionable if I should put these works publicly for sale at all, and also thus not keep the collection as a whole.  On the other hand, my original concept includes pondering this issue and learning from this dilemma - learning about myself and myself as something peculiar called an artist.
That's why I think I am that much pissed off again now 2018-03-31 that I will be writing yet another story soon. And what's wrong with this bird now you might ask. Read on and you'll find out.











... to be continued ...

NEW !


Adviced to do so, starting 2018-03-30 I will be adding some closeups of some of these paintings to my TAIKO-profile. To me, this means objectifying the paintings to things to buy instead of being part of the absurd structure I am making. I was also advised to change my profile image to a sharp dressed smiling personality because those get more clicks and sell better. Yes I know totally porn, but hey. Fuck art this is so only a business based world who cares about trivia like the mystery of art anymore. Maybe in some other parallel reality not here. But. My sacred, secret & divine concept can take also this twist I am very confident about my absurdity besides wtf why are we here we are here for selling sausages, and as the artists and all the other poor suckers pay the expences again so let's all go have some champagne trallalaa.
https://youtu.be/aSpkaBeZckY
Taiteilijat 1/2005 with # 104 on the cover
Taidemaalaus 1/2011 Magazine about Painting - Finnish Painters' Union
- just realized ... - 30 -| OPTO |
|    Agnes Martin    |
20.12.2012 3 A.M.
... tunsi kummaa leiskuntaa
[    sol-ipsistisuudesta    ]
[    itse m ä ä r ä ä     ]
[    Artist of the Week : Tiina Holli   ]
[    Jalat maassa  -  Feet on the ground    ]
[    neliöin näyttöä    ]
[    of interest :  how well do you see color ?    ]
[    opened OPTO    ]
[    helmikuun taiteilijat    ]
[    Cable Factory delivered once again    ]
[    Cable Factory 2018 delivered    ]
[    hassu marinoitu    ]
[    still trying to catch transition    ]
[    last train to central & that's it i quit    ]
blog : drawing / day 8118 - 81118 piirros / pv
piirros/pv 8118 - 81118 - 087
Premise ( s )  /  Alkuoletus

  • my vision of  " this world "  ≠  my concept of  " this world "  ≠   my experience of  " this world "  ≠  my conduct in  " this world "
  • phenomenal, holistic or pure, raw, genuine ...   ≠   conventional, traditional, religious ...
  • a constant meaning   ≠   a  continuous purpose  /  pysyvä merkitys   ≠    jatkuva tarkoitus
  • electricity - what is it ?   [ pfffööh ]
  • how to live a good life ?
  • what is a zero ( 0 ) ?
  • Complete ( FULL  ) Emptyness  [   =  N o t h i n g n e s s   ]    i s    H A P P E N I N G
  • by objecting a structure, you become part of it - by refusing to see it, you are in it.
  • wtf is there left to do then ?
  • w u   w e i
# 112 OPTO1 | # 121 OPTO3 | # 282 OPTO2 | # 282 OPTO4 | # 116 OPTO5, 2013  from the series OPTO, 2013 - from the series  " 4 x 28 = 107 ", 2002 - [ ongoing ]
acrylic on frozen pizza cardboard box, 25 x 25 cm ( OPTO1 24 x 24 cm )  # 112 OPTO1 in private collection art & photo © 2013 Tiina Hölli
[    of interest :  how well do you see color ?    ]
[    opened OPTO    ]
- just realized ... - 30 -| OPTO |
[    Cable Factory delivered once again    ]
Some subseries of " 4 x 28 = 107 " :
Tiina Hölli's debut solo exhibition in Helsinki " 20.12.2012 "  in Galleria Johan S. Helsinki 2005 presented as an installation a compilation of 56 works from series " 4 x 28 = 107 " , 2002 - [ ongoing ] size 100 x 400 cm, single work 24 x 24 cm. On windowsill were several miniature versions of painting # 129, original paintings on MDF-board. Photographer Juha Kärkkäinen in November 2005 | art & photo © 2005 Tiina Hölli.
Background  /  Taustaa
aha !  moment  ( this is herstory )

I had an Epiphany in December 2000, that

  1. because I perceive ( that ) I  -a m-  here, part of This, but simultaneously scattered around ...
  2. ... there is This Emptyness [ later I called it Nothing/-ness ] , thus
  3. as a part of This Emptyness, also I must be ( am ) Empty, Nothing

and because, and as

  1. " this whole world "  is Empty, Nothing, Emptyness, Nothingness, then it must be rather a SYSTEM than a STRUCTURE ( me also in it ), and
  2. this   SYSTEM   as   " N o t h i n g n e s s "    is    - -- --- >  H A P P E N I N G  < --- -- -    [ later I started to call this HAPPENING  - " Being " - ] and
  3. all STRUCTURES are absurd and (hu)man-made, while instead this SYSTEM, this
  4. Nothingness [ (as a Whole ) iS Complete ( FULL ) Emptyness ]  =  H A P P E N I N G .



so ... ... ... ...

... the whole point of this ...  A L L  ... is  H A P P E N I N G , nothing else, just H A P P E N I N G ,
that   H A P P E N I N G    H A P P E N S ,  that   H A P P E N I N G    K E E P S    H A P P E N I N G .

( Got it ? )
# 90, 2002, acrylic on frozen pizza cardboard box 24 x 24 cm
Lexmark European Art Prize 2003 finalist of the 1st jury ( Tiina Holli with an o ) | Artist's collection photographer Jukka Klemetti | art & photo © 2002 Tiina Hölli
... ... ... ... so what ?

In 1996 I had started a vast ( ongoing ) documentative Archiving Project as my graduation work from art school. In turn of the year 2000-2001, as an essential part of my graduation work ( May 2001) in Time-Space -Art -category, I wrote a long conceptual writing about my concept of Being ( sort of phenomenal, I was thinking at the time ) and about Nothingness as H A P P E N I N G. ( Few understood. ) ( Can be found in my art school's library, I guess. )

I continued my art studies to get a professional degree as a Painter, and graduated in December 2002  from the Painting  -department, read about it here : |Agnes Martin|

My art school graduation work 2002 included two separate kind of paintings as color studies: small color studies on square bases, and larger figurative paintings, in which I had used the knowledge I learned with the small ones. Later the figurative painting series gradually got an additional content as about Wizzards and Witches, Sorcerers and Magicians - and later on I included it in my newer figurative painting series W O O M - Man.

In these figurative paintings, besides my skill in color, I of course was to show also a little of my figure drawing skills after all those years working working working like a maniac drawing croquis for hours at some point daily for months, while at the same time attending every Life Model Drawing session I could find, and studying densely & insanely classical anatomy drawing 1999 - 2001. It was absurd. I was absurd.

But in the main role were My Colors. My Inner Colour Life.

I was turning more and more to abstract painting and conceptual works.

In my graduation work I included a writing  ( a more poetic one ) about my Coloristic Painting and me being an Absurd Structure-Maker of 4-sided coloristic paintings ( ongoing ), series called " 4 x 28 = 107 ", 2002 - . ( Also this one can be found in my art school's library, I am guessing. --- Okay ... of course I have copies. )

Since 2004 this series of paintings ( also as a structure ) has been presented in several galleries and other public spaces together with another absurd structure I made ( ongoing ), a series of hundreds of little Artist's Books called 
epäröintejä lyijykynällä  /  hesitations with a pencil, 2004 - .

For survival causes during past years I had to sell some separate pieces of work from both of these compilations to different collectors, but I am confident that these collectors will some day gather the pieces and themselves in a big powwow and dance around my art hahaha

Since then I have found solid proofs, that I am onto something here ;
that is ; I  found s o m e t h i n g ... work continues ... only now   I   k n o w   what I'm doing
                                                                                                                 [   oh  yes     -- >   (  öh ?  )  ]
This is the third book to gather my conceptual writings
together with my poetic expression :   Ur Society.

In several points I am still that uttermost beautifully color-mindly-equipped, clear and stupid student beginning to paint - on the one hand this is excellent progress as it shows nothing's happened in-me ; I am still beautiful-mindedly as pure as I have always been when it comes to colouristic painting itself, having my own, individual inner colors still - but then again, on the other hand I am so done, in fact so over(done) and out, that I don't give a shit anymore. I never had a message ( I thought ), and I said I can stop any minute, and I am okay with Nothing, and who gives a shit about my painting ( s ) anyway.

What to do then.

I don't know.

I don't know.
#  29, 2004, acrylic on frozen pizza cardboard box mounted on 1 cm MDF-board 24 x 24 cm
ARTISTS 2005 - Artists' Association of Finland Taidehalli | Kunsthalle Helsinki 2005
photographer Juha Kärkkäinen | art & photo © 2004 Tiina Hölli
SO WRONG COLOR ! IT IS COLDER IN REALITY ! I WILL CHANGE THIS SOON ! (...ER OR LATER)
LAPTOP SCREEN CALIBRATION FIASKO Explanation here

# 156 Tsunami Pink Dragon, 2011 from series " 4 x 28 = 107 ", 2002 -
acrylic on frozen pizza cardboard box mounted on cardboard 25 x 25 cm
art & photo © 2011 Tiina Hölli
[    helmikuun taiteilijat    ]
How are paintings measured by 4-sided -rule - The first basic step - Test it yourself :
  1. click randomly on one of the 4 images below
  2. then serial click the arrow on each image - click click click click -
  3. would you accept all 4 images as 4 independent art works ?
  4. would you name each one of them individually ?
  5. which one do you prefer ?
# 63, 2002,  acrylic on  frozen pizza cardboard box mounted on 1 cm MDF-board 24 x 24 cm photo Jukka Klemetti | art & photo © 2002-2004 Tiina Höllii - Original is for sale in TAIKO
" Hohto " # 45, 2005  |  # 97, 2002, acrylic on frozen pizza cardboard box mounted on 1 cm MDF-board each 24 x 24 cm
# 45 in private collection of visual artist Riikka Niittonen | # 97 is available for purchase - ask me - art & photo © 2002-2016 Tiina Hölli
[    neliöin näyttöä    ]

# 161, 162, 163 in series Jalat maassa | Feet on the ground 1 - 3 / 3, 2005 acrylic on cardboard, 3 pieces, each 24 x 24 cm, as triptych approximately 24 x 72 cm
# 163 in private collection - art & photo © 2005 Tiina Hölli
this triptych work has been on display in Finland in several exhibitions
 [    Jalat maassa  -  Feet on the ground    ]

# 99 Venice Pillars, 2005, restored 2017 acrylic on frozen pizza cardboard box mounted on 1 cm thick MDF-board, 24 x 24 x 1 cm art & photo © 2005 - 2017 Tiina Hölli
this work has been on display in Finland in the following exhibitions :
Galleria Johan S. Helsinki 2005 Salon Taidelainaamo Salo 2008 Merigalleria Mathildan Marina 2017
note :  this is a 4-sided painting with 4 hanging wires in the back, painting's price 2017 was 800 € - will check the color of the photo .....
[    hassu marinoitu    ]
Tiina Hölli :  list of ongoing exhibitions



Original works and fine art prints of original works
by Tiina Hölli for sale :
Fine Art America |  Saatchi Art  |  Bizarre  |  TAIKO
# 13 Hassu, 2002 - 2005,
restored 2017 from the series Sea of Love, 2017 from the series  " 4 x 28 = 107 ", 2002 - [ ongoing ]
acrylic on frozen pizza cardboard box mounted on 1 cm thick MDF-board, 24 x 24 x 1 cm 
art & photo © 2005 - 2017 Tiina Hölli
Merigalleria Mathildan Marinassa - Salon Taiteilijaseuran myyntinäyttely 30.04.-30.08.2017
poster
Perniönseudun Lehti 2017-06-01 :  Mathildan Marinasta saa myös silmanruokaa
# 130, 2005 - 2018 from the series  " 4 x 28 = 107 ", 2002 - [ ongoing ]
acrylic on frozen pizza cardboard box 25 x 25 cm
art & photo © 2005 - 2018 Tiina Hölli

During the spring 2018 (once again) a challenge to get true colors in photos. In my blog post about # 130 I am telling the story of how I tryed to get the colors right in the original jpg and paperprints ...  once again ... Guess which oneof these is closest to the original painting !
 piirros/pv 8118 - 81118 - 087  2018-04-04
 [    neon pinky thingy problemo # 130    ]  2018-04-04
And finally ...

... what   H A P P E N E D   to my Premise ( s )  ?

  • absolutely
  • N o t h i n g
  • yet
  • i
  • don´t
  • yet
  • have
  • any
  • clue
  • but
  • i
  • make
  • a
  • space
  • reservation
  • here
  • in
  • case
  • something
  • should
  • come
  • up
  • 'cause
  • it
  • always
  • does
                                                                               still trying