The new paintings by Siim-Tanel Annus laugh and cry at the same time.
Sometimes, while being in the studio of Siim-Tanel Annus and diving into his
pictures, a strange presentiment comes over me - I feel as if I was standing in
front of some kind of mythological map. This map does not refer to any
actual or fabulous place, there are no place names, height identification lines,
there exists no legend and cannot be foud road signs. The filigree lines of
Annus have rather created a thready network that tries to put on a map the
Recognition, proceeding from the artist\'s inner world, palpating it carefully
and making it gradually more and more visible.
In the Haus Galerii are exposed the newest works
by Annus that were made either last year or even this year. Less than two dozen
works are placed into the room so that between the works are formed such spaces
that could be called \"pauses in speech\". \"I am tired of the thick wall,\"
confesses the artist himself. Such pauses take up in a paradox manner a
conversation with the \"quiet\" works by Annus. These paintings show the artist\'s
reservness and expose Annus\' longing for technical correctness and detailed
planning. This side is especially well represented by a series of six
paintings, where from canvas to canvas is repeated the motif that on its journey
undergoes a certain discreet process of changing of angles of vision.
Motif that Annus examines, does not undergo any kind of essential
expressive dislocations - changing of angles of vision can be detected, but
simultaneously it is carefully controlled and thought through. While walking in
front of the paintings, rolls up an an almost invisible parchment, which shows
six different states of one moment. A dislocation in the world system, in the
Universe, if you wish, is hardly detectable, but important and
essential.
But in case of paintings by Annus we can not (must not!) limit ourselves with
emphasizing of painting-technical originalities, we can not keep on talking only
about the choice of motifs and changing of focuses. These are paintings, which
enable us to move to a certain wider level and which let us draw conclusions,
the results of which reach the borders of psychology and religion. \"I guess I
strive towards such eternal picture of the world,\" has said Annus himself. Such
artist\'s becoming absorbed in one thought (not a theme!) forms while walking
from picture to picture a specific stairway to heaven (let us remember here also
the \"Heaven Towers\" series) that the artist is constructing step-by-step. It
seems that with these works he reaches almost the last steps, the heaven and
everything behind it can already be reached, can already be put on a map by an
inkling.
At the same time the mentioned series can also be
viewed as a psychological phenomenon: as a mirror for a human being. The mirror
notion becomes especially well recognized, when we compare the rational,
clean-bordered works, which are held in check with other works, being exposed at
the Haus Galerii. With the latter Annus continues the topic of technical
innovations, moving at the touchpoint of painting and graphical art.
Instead of the black background the artist now uses brownish, rusty
shades, but it is more important to detect such emotional charge of these works
that even in the paintings emerges situation, where in places we can talk about
exaltation, disappearance of limits, final rejection of rationality. Items,
added to the painting surface from the artist\'s private world (feathers, leaves,
scrabbles, etc) \"oppose\" to the controlled clear borders and finally create the
general impression of the exhibition, which is simultaneously wearing a smiling
and a crying mask.
While looking back along the creative way of Annus, we see among others ultra
filigree networks of lines, which were made in the end of the 1970ies in the
studio of Tõnis Vint, where was formed own system, own breathing and rhythm.
Such stable cardiogram has now been replaced by a considerably more impulsive
and impetuous cardiogram, an art freak has deliberately (?) given up the
consciousness and gives in to his emotions, hurling it into lines and through
the lines into the paintings.
With the current exhibition has been added into
the religious, sacred dimensional perception of the universe of Annus a strong
human psychology-related moment: while exposing the controversy of the human
inner world, Annus also exposes harmony that is impelled from the mentioned
contradiction. Here the world is suddenly in a nut-shell, the eternity has dived
into man himself. Our first impression does not deceive us: in a certain sense
we are dealing with a joint exhibition of two different artists. But the way
Annus is able to put with his paintings on a map human depths and to find from
there something joint for everybody and so for Everything, is
admirable.
We do not need a matching legend here. Only eyes, to see and look ourselves.
And to find.