Once established in Finland, Villu began to create various sculptures
up to 1993 accumulating in a very important commissioned
monument for the Victims of the Estonia Ferry Disaster (1994).
‘Broken Line’ a huge steel contemporary sculpture which was
installed in 1996.
The artist moved around Northern Europe creating as he visited
different countries. His interest centred on ‘iron-casting’ - Here he
created a host of works of art - and taught how to create art by using
the ancient technique of live iron casting, teaching and holding
demonstrations in Denmark, Hungary and several venues in the USA.
Villu has exhibited at numerous European national and international
exhibitions all through the 2000’s. Accomplished as the artist is, he
is also always looking to create something different and unique. His
position of professor of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts at
Helsinki University, where his five year term ends in December 2020,
has given him a host of enthusiastic artists students to inspire and be
inspired with since 2015.
One wonders where, when his term is over, that Villu will demonstrate
his restless need to ‘make something new’ will take him. What is for
sure will be whatever he chooses to do, it will be different. And on
that note, when TUBES spoke with Villu about creating this review,
Villu informed them that he has been working on a ‘floating studio’.
This will act not only as a studio, but also as a mobile Gallery that can
taken to various ports of call that are located around the Baltic Sea.
On a more static note (and works of art), we can look at the massive
sculptures (shown on these pages) that demonstrates his vision.
Rubber Duck, Elephant, Paradise island and Gorilla are only four of
the structures Villu made from reclaimed rubber tyres and are not
only great works of art, but they are obviously incredibly difficult to
physically make, yet they are emit humour, love and respect for the
animals they are based on.
It is sad that some morons in Helsinki thought it ‘Fun’ to burn down
the Gorilla that was installed outside of Helsinki University, idiots
and jealousy have no heart or conscious. From reclaimed tyres to
reclaimed plastic sheets that are shaped into a huge bird, then to
a an enormous seagull’s head made from fibreglass and polyester
resin. Villu keeps his ‘reality’ of the image philosophy in tact, but don’t
be mistaken, thinking that Villu is a traditionalist, far from it, the artist
is no stranger to unique contemporary abstraction either. “Himalaya”
(left) is an example of alternative thinking - made with recycled
fluorescent tubes - and ‘Wave’ (extreme left) is an installed sculpture
of ‘Sound’ that could as well be called “an island that is made with
nothing but sound.”
These are just a few of creations from the mind of Villu Jaanisoo.
For me, he is one of the best sculptors in Europe and I will look with
great excitement to see the next three dimensional works of art that
have been created by this artist who has been thinking different for
over the last thirty years.
written by Spike for Tubes Artists Gallery