" 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.

In the beginning I wanted to make a huge series of small squares - an enormous, changeable large installation of hundreds of small square paintings as a grid on one wall. But simultaneously with grandiose plans and goals, an essential part of the first squares on cardboard was to paint the backside of the works with dark raw umbra, and on it write spiritual notes about my painting sessions with silver ink and a classical ink pen.

Different base materials, experiments, side projects, combinations, finished paintings glued on MDF-boards... - but retaining the same square format that I had immediately felt as my own. The square format itself became so dear and familiar to me, that I naturally started to cut other works, like photographs, to the square format.

The square shape has become essential in my working and for spiritual side. Below on this page I am opening a bit more of the background of making this series, what are my practical and ethical dilemmas, 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.
After such an intimate history together with the about 200 originals of this square series, I am understandably not at all comfortable with selling these works, and the longer this time span with them gets, the stronger becomes my resistance. Finally 2018-11-07, with the help of Jupiter returning in Sag, I found a solution I can live at peace with.

I am keeping in my own Artist's Collection the ones of my original first squares of this series that I still have left with me. If I feel like it, I will put newer ones for sale.

This decision made my heart sing, so it is the right thing to do.
"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
For the records and for the collectors of the previous works, I am revealing here the whole pricing history of squares in this series :

Painting this series since 2002, the prices of these 24 cm or 25 cm squares have varied 200€-1000€ for the first 15 years, 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, or are classics, or if I say so.

The average price of 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, then the average price was 1000€.
Works for online sale in TAIKO since 2016 without even one contact requesting about them for 2 years, triggered me to soul searching about to sell them at all or not, and why sell ? How to deal with the buyer never actually being in a direct tactile connection with a work that is so tactile, and that is made intense as tactile ? A work that is made with colorism, the viewer's reaction to light and color in the work, the haptic response of holding the small sized work in one's hand, the weight, and the surface structure of the painting with several layers of previous stages of the work - how to deal with knowing all this and none of it conveyed to the viewer ?

Simultaneously with the new rules structure with possible international sales beginning autumn 2018, and these thoughts, I raised the prices of the 6 original squares for sale as rare collector items to 1400€, then to 1700€. Now I am following the guideline to keep my prices steady allround for the first originals.

Let's find out what is the next episode. So far this has been most interesting a journey.

I am still actively painting squares, and under this series name as the umbrella, and with several subseries titles.

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 I have used 30, 50, 60, 70 and 100 cm on 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.

4-sided rule is a rare success, and it intesifies the work. I am making large installations with one or several intense works and expanding them with several simple works of plain color fields, a few elements and repeating colours, color slides, surface structures with shades of color and so on. I also do commissions with this method.
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
Sarja on aktiivi.
Työstän sarjan teoksia jatkuvasti, ja muutama sata teosta on aina jatkuvan muutoksen ja keskeneräisyyden tilassa, joko laatikoissa, epämääräisissä kasoissa siellä täällä, tai hujan hajan pitkin erilaisia tasoja. Otan vuorollaan yhden esille silloin tällöin ja katselen sitä - mitä se kaipaa, mitä siihen tulee lisätä ? Mikä teos on sen pari ? Millä neljästä sivustaan sen paino on, seisooko se kaikilla sivuillaan ? Millä sivulla se saa parin ? Merkitsen taustapuolelle muistiinpanoja, ja jokaisesta työstä on oma sivunsa sarjan työhuonepäiväkirjassa.

Yhtä 24 x 24 cm neliötä pohdin siis vuosia, mietin juuri sen väri- ja muotokysymyksiä tai vertaan sen vahvuutta rinnastaen sitä muihin neliöihin. Valmistuvien yksittäisten teosten rinnalla installaatiot valmistuvat näin pikkuhiljaa vuosien kuluessa parien löytäessä yksitellen toisensa ja ketjun kasvaessa.
Prosessia rikastaa loputtomasti, innostavasti ja ilolla eksponentiaalisesti 4-sivun sääntöni.

Optimineliö on yksinään vahva teos, joka voidaan ripustaa neljällä eri tavalla, eli yksi neliö saattaa olla neljä vahvaa eri yksilöllistä teosta. Silloin teen neljään suuntaan myös ripustusratkaisun.

Optimineliöiden ryhmä on sellaisten yksittäisten vahvojen teosten kokoelma, jossa jokainen neliöistä on sekä optimineliö että yhteensopiva kaikilta sivuiltaan ryhmän jokaisen muun neliön kaikkien sivujen kanssa.

Optimi-installaatio on sekä ajaton ja vahva itsenään että vahvasti paikkasidonnainen, tilaustyönä tehty mitoiltaan ja väreiltään, ja kunkin teoksen työstämisvaiheessa minussa on tapahtunut jokin eteenpäin vievä oivallus.
Sarjan työstämismetodista johtuen valmiiden teosten lisäksi sarjan keskeneräisiä teoksia on työhuoneella aina 200-300 (maalauskauden aikana enemmänkin) joko lähes valmiina, puolivalmiina, odottamassa ripustusratkaisua - tai paria, jolla ehkä jo on vahva yhden sivun painoarvo tai jokin pysyvä ripustusratkaisu. Joskus vahva keskeneräinen teos odottaa lopullista sanaa siitä, haluaako se olla yksin, tarvitseeko se paspiksen ja lasikehyksen, vai sopivaa ryhmää ympärilleen.

Toisinaan jokin teos on yksin niin voimakas, jokin pari on niin merkitsevä, jokin triptyykki haluaa olla kolmisin keskenään, joskus yksi tai useampi teos yhdessä alkaa kasvaa, ja tämän varaan voi rakentaa kokonaisen installaation työstämälle sen ympärille uusia teoksia muodostaen uuden kokonaisuuden.
This series is an active work in progress.

NEW !

TAIKO shipping worldwide
beginning in autumn 2018.

If you are interested in any particular painting or paintings here on my webpages that are not marked in the caption as already being in a collection, do e-mail me and ask me to upload that work for sale in TAIKO or Saatchi Art. I will respond if I feel comfortable with selling that work at all and if the upload is possible. My contact information is here.

My advice to you is to be brave. If you really want a collection work from me from this special series, Universe will assist. These are not just paintings. They are 4-sided works.

Rare occasion !

# 13 Hassu, 2002 - 2005
is now for sale in Finland in  Bizarre
for 1400€ (standard price 1700€)
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
|    Andra Vișan : Mayan Calendar Explained    |
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    ]
Adviced to do so, starting 2018-03-30 I added closeups of the 6 paintings that are for sale in my TAIKO-profile. This kind of startled me.

To me, that ment objectifying those 6 squares to things to buy instead of them being part of the absurd structure I am making. I had to ponder on this for 6 months to be okay with it. TAIKO goes international and starts shipping worldwide in autumn 2018.

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. Who cares about trivia like the mystery of art(ists) anymore. Maybe in some other parallel reality not here. But here is where I draw the line. Close-ups of the backside of my paintings, okay, but close-ups of my backside ? (nope.) But hey. My sacred, secret & divine concept can take also this twist. I am very confident about my own absurdity trallalaa.  https://youtu.be/aSpkaBeZckY

Because of the delicate holistic 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 keep the rest of the original collection as a whole. 
2018-10-23 seems that Venus in Retrograte is as strong as it is ment to be. This Venusian span of 8 years has twirled my ethical ponderings right back to year 2010. On top of it, the 18 years' cycle of Lunar Nodes brings me right back to the fall of 2000, and the opposite period is again smack in the middle 2009-2010. How many times have we all repeated this, and each time for nothing ? SML❤ - hang on in there.
Chill. This also shall pass.
Remember your mission.  
But how could I still enjoy fully painting, after awareness of microplastic ? We all on this planet are using plastic in all possible walks of life  - artists for example wrapping the works for transportation.

On the other hand, my original concept particularly includes pondering issues like this - art-related methodological, ethical, practical and philosophical questions, all deeply emotional, purely aesthetical and rationally technical issues - and learning from these dilemmas, learning about myself, and myself as something peculiar called an artist.
 In addition to this, 2018-11-03 I am strongly adviced (by hiding my profile until I obey) to conform to the once again new rules : I did download requested additional information, but now I am requested to  take it down, because there is too much information in my profile. C'est la vie - I anticipated this would occur as there's no end to it when it once begins, it seems. Life is such a great mystery.

I am not comfortable with selling these works at all. It comes upfront all the time, and stronger. I cannot align myself if in denial of such a strong inner resistance.

Ethically the right thing to do is to always be truthful to oneself, and brutally honest in one's art. Conforming is not honest. At all. I cannot go on like this. It feels wrong. I feel I am being pushed to something wrong. So I am solving the situation by fixing the profile somewhat as demanded to get it back visible. As an advice to you : Buy first the works that already are on sale, and then we will talk if I feel okay to put more sale from this original series.

But ! Solution !

I am painting new ones as we speak ! All the time I am. How about this ! Ask for new ones ! This is the best way to go. Pheeeew ! Thnx U !
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
 Artist's collection | 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 - shipping worldwide :
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