Villu Jaanisoo - thinking different
Some readers may well remember that Apple Mac advertising
campaign, one that ran back in the day when Apple was the only
PC that a creative would entertain, the headline of which was
‘think different’ - A slick piece of copy writing, that the Estonian
renown sculptor, Villu Jaanisoo, took literally. Villu is an artist that
exemplifies that brilliant Apple statement of advise to the under
thirties by creating excellent and unique sculptures.
Born in Estonia in 1963, Villu thought different about his chosen art
form completing his education and graduating from the Estonia Art
Academy in 1989 from the start. Estonian was still under the ‘heal’
of the USSR when Villu graduated from the art academy, however
by spring of 1990 the Estonian SSR Supreme Soviet declared the
authority of the Soviet Union in Estonia illegal. A transition period
was announced, which in cooperation with the Estonian Congress,
would lead to the restoration of the Republic of Estonia.
In May, the name Estonian SSR was abolished and replaced by the
Republic of Estonia. It took another year before full independence
was enjoyed by the Estonia population. Villu had already been
creating his own Estonian independence support by creating
monuments of the heroes of Estonia, namely Villem Reiman (Kolga
Jaani) created 1989 and Jakob Hurt (Otepää) created in 1990.
By 1991 and after Estonia was fully independent, Villu travelled
to Finland where in 1992 he made a portrait of Juice Leskinen, a
Finnish prominent singer songwriter, which got the artist noticed
immediately.