Timo Andersson (b. 1989) — Painting and aesthetics in thought process

A visit at Timo Andersson’s studio in Merihaka in October 2021 unveiled how naturally painting can become part of the thought process and a way of life. Violet works in progress around the studio space during the visit created an atmosphere of fairytale magic and nostalgia of childhood.

For Timo Andersson, the aesthetics are the most important guideline, the representation comes secondary. The grid he uses on the surface of the canvas intends to give his works a kind of rough texture, an antithesis of flatness, a voluntarily wanted digital effect delivering the paintings a dimensional feel. The ribbon he fixes around the painting defines a finished piece. Everything in Andersson’s paintings happens naturally – he sketches none of his works. It is all about processing and letting the creation come by its own will. Andersson is now working on a series of new pieces to create diversity in his artistic path; the semi-representative touch designates a fresh direction for his career without being a total U-turn.

To find his own solutions in art, Andersson interacts sparsely with other artists. He shares about his daily life on social media, dropping updates about the progression of his art, music he happens to listen as well as inspiring details of every day life. In general, the marginals interest him. He enjoys scrolling tirelessly through Instagram, YouTube and other social media channels to find entertaining content. Listening to music is an aesthetic experience for Andersson – the attractive forms and structures inspire him. Music helps him reach a certain mindset to observe his artwork. Meaningful moments that allow to commit to something insightful are important to him. What comes to art history, Andersson’s personal relation with it is sketchy and hazardous. Occasionally when painting, he happens to do something akin to an era, like using fauvist colours and thinking like ‘Wow, that was witty’. Those occurrences make him aware of the heritage and continuum of the tradition in art. With respect to the history, Andersson finds the most interesting things happening in the present day, where he finds a certain freedom to mix things up as one likes.

There are no indications of people in Andersson’s paintings, but his experimental three-dimensional works incorporate the human body. The most important for Andersson with the sculpture is to experiment in ways that painting doesn’t allow. “I honestly think I am quite bad with three-dimensional works, but I find it exciting, and that’s the reason why I return to that world periodically, even though it might not be as interesting as what I usually do with paintings”, he explains. For Andersson, sculpture and painting are two opposing practices with dissimilar subjects. In painting it’s the image, object and scenery in a distant way, while in three-dimensional works there are more experimental attempts to shape objects, materials and accomplish an outcome. In its format the sculpted pieces would take the path of contemporary casting.

Colour scales of acrylic and spray change thematically in Andersson’s work. The 2021 winter’s Forum Box exhibition was full of in-your-face positive vibes with a joyful yellow covering the walls. To digest, the after period in spring followed with black paintings. The melancholic and introverted vibe of this assimilation episode delivered a perfect counteraction to the preceding show. This kind of in-between period of processing delivered the ongoing violet world, full of fairytale magic and nostalgic perceptions of childhood. Further than anything deeply symbolic, Andersson simply appreciates how violet works with other colours. These current works in progress with semi-representational views through landscape and nature are something that Andersson has been, for the first time, provisionally scheming. The painting basis needs to be simple and explicit, like a horizon or geometric figuration which origins from vegetal world. At the end of the day, Andersson seeks to have a painting as ready as possible.

Shortly after high school Andersson realised a career path as an artist was possible. Further in art school he understood that art provided a medium to link things together. Andersson, who is originally from Jyväskylä is now based in Helsinki spending a major part of his time at his studio. “Exhibitions I’ve had sparsely, yet I am grateful about the way things have gone, as it has helped focusing on the essential. I’m lucky to have had the time to artistically process and develop quite freely with an absence of pressure or stress towards a fixed direction”, Andersson states.