THE ARTWORK
TUM Records uses works of Finnish artists as cover art for its releases in order to visually distinguish them. In connection with its first four releases, TUM Records used professor Juhani Linnovaara’s paintings. The following four releases will feature works by Lars-Gunnar Nordström, another internationally renowned Finnish modern painter. In both cases, the paintings used in the releases by TUM Records were chosen in collaboration with the artist himself.
Kari Cavén
Lars-Gunnar Nordström
Juhani Linnovaara
Kari Cavén (b. 1954) is among the internationally best known Finnish artists of his generation. His work has been broadly exhibited in and outside of Finland and he has been featured at the Venice Biennale a total of three times (1988, 1990 and 1995).
After being rejected by the Senior High School for Arts in his hometown of Savonlinna, Cavén worked as a mailman while studying art at the Free Art School (1976-77), the University of Industrial Art (1977-78) and, finally, the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts (1978-82). After graduation, Cavén first became known for his oil paintings but soon gravitated towards working with found objects and materials. During the 1980s, his principal raw material was wood, often construction waste. Beginning in the early 1990s, Cavén has increasingly worked with metal and plastic as well.
An ever-present feature in Cavén’s work is his sense of humor that colors his perception of the world around us. Observed through his eyes, junk becomes something else – art.
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Appointment Agreed Upon
(1985) Kari Cavén Wood 105 x 275 x 5 |
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Regional
Survey (1984) |
Lars-Gunnar Nordström (b. 1924)
is Finland’s best-known representative of constructivist art. Nordström
already found his own style in the late 1940s and the 1950s, exhibiting
his works for the first time in 1947. In addition to Finland, Nordström’s
works have often been exhibited in Sweden as well as in other European
countries and the United States. In 1983, he was named the Artist of the
Year at the Helsinki Festival.
As an artist, Nordström is largely self-taught. After graduating as an interior designer from the Finnish Central School of Industrial Art in 1949, Nordström worked at several architect’s offices until 1960 while continuing to actively create and exhibit new art. Nordström has studied at various times in France, Italy, Switzerland and the United States. In addition to his paintings, Nordström is known for his large murals and mosaic works for public spaces as well as for his sculptures.
Nordström is also well known for his love of jazz music. His large record collection is legendary and he is known to listen to jazz while working. Nordström has said that, in his works, he seeks to achieve a feeling similar to the rhythmic flow that can be found in all good jazz.
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Red Composition (1954) by Lars-Gunnar Nordström Oil on board, 122 x 122 cm Photographed by Hannu Aaltonen; photo provided by Central Art Archives, Helsinki, Finland
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Dimensional Function (1972) by Lars-Gunnar Nordström Oil on board, 200 x 100 cm Photographed by Hannu Aaltonen; photo provided by Central Art Archives, Helsinki, Finland |
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Plastic Painting (1952)
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Asphalt Jungle (sketch, 1959) |
Juhani Linnovaara (b. 1934)
is one of the most internationally renowned Finnish artists and has been
at the forefront of modern art in Finland since the 1960s. His paintings
and sculptures have been widely exhibited both in Finland and internationally,
starting with the Paris Biennial in 1969 and the Venice Biennial in 1970.
Professor Linnovaara’s works are included in the collections of many important museums and public collections around the world and he has received a number of awards over the years, including the International Jury’s Price at the Paris Biennial in 1969. He was also named as the Artist of the Year at the Helsinki Festival in 1978 and awarded an honorary professorship by the Finnish State in recognition of his distinguished career.
Professor Linnovaara has always steered clear of being a committed follower of any “ism” in order to retain his ability to move freely across the entire field of art. He lives in Porvoo, Finland, and continues to actively create and exhibit new works.
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A Leap into the Unknown
(1984) by Juhani Linnovaara Acryl on canvas, 150 x 195 cm Photographed by Kaj G. Lindholm |
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In the Limelight (1995-96) by Juhani Linnovaara Oil on canvas, 130 x 150 cm Photographed by Kaj G. Lindholm |
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Here We Are Coming (1985) by Juhani Linnovaara Acryl on canvas, 180 x 150 cm Photographed by Raine Nylund |
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Secret World (1995-96) by Juhani Linnovaara Oil on canvas, 130 x 150 cm Photographed by Kaj G. Lindholm |