Man, Machine & Jewellery - Björn Weckström

I went to see Björn Weckström's (b. 1935) life work exhibition MAN, MACHINE AND JEWELLERY at the Didrichsen Art Museum. The exhibition was supposed to happen already last year in the artist’s 85th anniversary year, but luckily it could be opened now. I didn't know much about Weckström's life. I only knew him as a pioneering jewellery designer from the days of Lapponia Jewelry, but these human-sized mythical bronze figures were new to me. They are mindboggling, dramatic and, of course, stunning, but I find them pretty scary. Here's how Didrichsen's website says: 

In Weckström's works, the myths of antiquity meet the scientific achievements and fantasies of our time - the conquest of space, genetic manipulation and the revolution of machines. The large, shiny bronze sculptures of the exhibition from the 1980s and 1990s, machine people, are like a vision of a future driven by technological development.

The jewellery exhibition features 86 pieces from Weckström's career. Included is one of the artist’s best-known jewels, the Planetoid Valleys Necklace seen in the first Star Wars film. Weckström has designed his most famous jewellery for the Finnish Lapponia Jewelry, which is now owned by Kalevala Koru Oy.

Planetoid Valleys

Weckström’s small marble and glass sculptures were sympathetic and approachable. 

The exhibition included a series of stunning Stonehenge sculptures.

The thinker, 1988

Stereophonic dream

Blind runner

Icarus, 1980-82

MAN, MACHINE AND JEWELLERY

Didrichsen Art Museum 11.9.2021–30.1.2022

Björn Weckström’s stunning webpage

He has written a biography called The Designer of Myths (Bazar 2018).

The book is available in Finnish and Swedish.

"In his autobiography, Björn Weckström talks about the origins of his works and how they were received as well as interesting turning points in his career. As an artist, he has been a forerunner, whose works have often been ahead of their time. Probably the most familiar to the general public are golden Lapponia jewels and the silver necklage Planetoid Valleys of Princess Leia in Star Wars. Completely another size is represented by large sizes bronze sculptures depicting man, many of whom were inspired by ancient myths in his Italian studio.”

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 #gartenglück #how to survive november #image-in-ing #krapu #makrotex #mosaic monday

#my corner of the world #tuesday's treasures #wandering camera #watw

Louhisaari Manor, Birthplace of Mannerheim

Louhisaari Manor is a historic baroque manor in Askainen in the municipality of Masku. The mansion is the birthplace and childhood home of Carl Gustaf Mannerheim (1867-1951). The house is a fine and rare example of a Palladian-style country house in Finland. During the restoration of the 1960s, the exterior was restored back to its 17th century style as much as possible. The house is surrounded by a park in English landscape style.

Mannerheim is our heroe. He was born in Louhisaari, but had to move out at the age of 13 after his father left the family & the seven children and moved to live with his mistress to Paris in 1880. Mannerheim's maternal uncle became his legal guardian and financier of his later schooling. The Russian Empire dominated the Grand Duchy of Finland before 1917, and Mannerheim made a career in the Imperial Russian Army. When Finland declared independent in 1917, he served as the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918 and as commander-in-chief of Finland's defence forces during the period of World War II and as the sixth president of Finland (1944–1946). 

The Mannerheim equestrian monument in the heart of Helsinki was sculptured by Aimo Tukiainen 

and was unveiled on June 4, 1960, on the Marshal's birthday. The bronze cast cavalry 

is 5.4 meters high and stands on a 6.3-meter-high red granite pedestal, 

so the monument has a total height of almost 12 meters.

In the park there was this beautiful scale model.

We visited the manor in the summer and were pretty much the only visitors.

It was very interesting to stroll around this impressive historique building.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#der natur donnerstag #garden affair #gartenglück #image-in-ing #krapu #makrotex 

#my corner of the world #tuesday's treasures #t in die neue woche #wandering camera

Halosenniemi & Väinö Blomstedt Art Exhibition

This year it is the 150th anniversary of painter Väinö Blomstedt. The exhibition at Halosenniemi celebrated the friendship between Pekka Halonen (1865-1933) and Blomstedt (1871–1947). These two painters became acquainted at the drawing school of the Finnish Art Association in 1888, and later their joint journey continued on trips to Paris and Italy, among other places. In 1893 they both received a state grant of FIM 3,000 for a trip abroad and they traveled together to work in the studio of Paul Gauguin, who had just returned from Tahiti.

 

Beforehand, Blomstedt was totally unknown to me and it was not allowed to take close photos of the paintings. So this post mainly presents the interior of this impressive log building from 1902.

Blomstedt: Pompeiji, 1900

Blomstedt worked also as artistic director of Friends of Finnish Handicrafts,
designing tapestries and rugs. Works designed by Blomstedt can still be ordered from  

the Friends of Finnish Handicraft online store, e.g. Dragonfly pillow and Horses rug.

Halosenniemi, the studio home of painter Pekka Halonen, was completed in 1902.

He designed himself the house and his brother Antti helped to build it. It is an impressive

log building, the studio is high and has a stunning big window.

The house is situated on the shore of Lake Tuusula and the views to the lake are wonderful.

A fun oven door, designed by Halonen’s cousin.

Blomstedt: Alder peeler, 1892

Blomstedt: An episode of the Kalevala. Kullervo carves the oak trunk, 1897

It was a wonderful summer excursion!

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#der natur donnerstag #garden affair #gartenglück #image-in-ing #makrotex

#my corner of the world #tuesday’s treasures #t in die neue woche #wandering camera