Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on canvas. 1993.
Signature: Ando Keskküla Valgus ja vari

Ando Keskküla (1950-2008), a powerful representative of Estonian pop art, hyperrealism and postmodernism, graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 1973 with a degree in design and entered the Estonian art scene like a meteor as a member of the avant-garde group Soup’69. He painted little in the 1990s as he was fascinated by the possibilities of interactive video installations. This makes his paintings of that decade very rare.

In these pieces with absurd plots, Keskküla experiments with large figures and minimalist colors, achieving amazing results, such as in the painting “Light and Shadow”. Two black giant insects stand on a gray background. It is possible that Keskküla had an erotic mating dance in mind when depicting them – one insect is larger than the other – because he really liked the grotesque and the absurd.

In any case, he also paid great attention to the three-dimensionality of the texture of the painting, which adds complexity and strength to the imaginary scenario. Before us is an unprecedented and fantastic work in Estonian painting, which reflects the creativity and originality of a great artist.

The painting was included in the 2020 exhibition “Ando Keskküla. Technodelics and Reality” at Kumu and is printed in its catalogue.

Text: Harry Liivrand