Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Ink on paper. Late 1950s/early 1960s.

In a dialogue with the work of surrealist masters Dali, Man Ray and others, Ülo Sooster presents his own version of the human face in his drawing “Surrealist woman” with migrating body parts. Art historian Eha Komissarov writes: “Sooster liked the playfulness of the surrealist narrative style and the ingenious method of transposing meanings. In 1958-1959, he began a series of metamorphoses, separating and repositioning body and face parts. Playing with the possibilities of combining image and word influenced by Magritte, Sooster wrote resignedly under the image of a mouth in a draft dated 1965-1970: “Mouth. Serious and smiling, toothy, kissing, spitting, telling you to fuck off.” (Ülo Sooster 1924-1970, EKM, 2001, pp. 20-22)“

The functions of other parts of the face were also well thought out and firmly established by Sooster. For example, the ear was associated with labyrinthine shapes while the eye was often transformed into an egg shape. A woman with moving facial parts thus becomes a kind of experimental object, which nevertheless continues to be attractive. In a way, the evil charm makes the face even more attractive, which is enhanced by the pouting lips of the heart-shaped mouth.

The drawing is coming to auction from the estate of art historian Mari Pill who was one of the intermediaries and researchers of Ülo Sooster’s work in Estonia, to whom the artist himself gave the piece. Among other things, in 1985, she organized Sooster’s solo exhibition at the Tartu Art Museum and in 1986 wrote an article in the first issue of the magazine “Kunst” entitled “Ülo Sooster. Innovator and bearer of traditions”.

Text: Harry Liivrand, Katre Palm