Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on masonite. 1970s.
Signature: KALJO SIMSON / ÖINE PÜÜK õli, 92×122 KALJO SIMSON

Kaljo Simson (1929-2017) is one of the most widely undiscovered artists in Estonian avant-garde history, a highly independent painter who sought and found his own artistic language. Part of the reason his creative heritage is still waiting to be discovered is that he spent the last 15 years of his life working in Sweden. Nevertheless, Simson can be considered one of the first Estonian pop artists, hyperrealists and postmodernists.

Conveying genuine emotion, “Night fishing” tells a story about the artist’s own life and experiences because in the 1970s, he often went fishing for crayfish in the Rannametsa River. A campfire glows warmly in the bow of the boat, an exciting hunt takes place along the river, and the catch is within reach. As an artist, Simson demonstrates an analytical approach to the problem of form, as well as an interest in surrealism through the distortion of forms and dimensions.

The painting comes to us from the Kaljo Simson estate.

Text: Katre Palm, Harry Liivrand