Secco
160 x 3240 cm, 52 m\u00b2
Soldered stained glass
140 x 62,\u00a06 pcs.
Not under conservation as a cultural monument<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a valley near the Lihula manor house, organically blending into the landscape, lies a gigantic postmodernist cultural temple designed in the EKE Projekt design institute. The building\u2019s author is Rein Tomingas, and it was recognised as the Estonian Building of the Year upon its completion. The tall windows in the middle of the building\u2019s exterior fa\u00e7ade hide a mirror hall behind them, the design of which was born through the cooperation between the building\u2019s interior architect Maire Kangur and the monumental painter Eva J\u00e4nes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the upper part of the dark-toned ballroom expanded with mirrors, above a heavy wooden cornice and against the ceiling is a semi-abstract pannel that flows as one uninterrupted strip. In addition to the mirrors next to the windows are the narrow mirrors on the wooden-metal carcass of the coffer, which expands the large-scale artwork\u2019s reflections onto the ceiling. The scenically rich surfaces depicting lush larger-than-life plant motifs are balanced by unicolour geometric areas. The flora in the pink, green and yellow tones reminiscent of a sweltering summer\u2019s eve are complimented by the occasional small birds and animals, providing the rural folk with realistic joy of recognition. There are a small number of human figures on the pannel as well, including a dancing ballerina, but the piece would have benefitted from omitting these elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surprisingly enough, one can read from Karin Paulus\u2019s book 101 Eesti n\u00f5ukogude aja ehitist<\/em> (\u201c101 Buildings of the Estonian Soviet Era\u201d, 2019) that Eva J\u00e4nes had allegedly depicted typical Soviet Era symbolism in her painting \u2013 the hammer and sickle, and peace doves. Prejudice in a critics mind can make one see issues where there are none \u2013 there is a sickle-shaped (crescent) moon but nothing more. It is unfortunate that an author who earnestly only focused on the art throughout their oeuvre is attributed the use of Soviet paraphernalia, and their artwork praising the grandeur of nature, born alongside the Singing Revolution, is lumped together with Evald Okas\u2019s inherently Soviet painting in Maarjam\u00e4e Palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three stained-glass windows created for the caf\u00e9 a year later enchant the viewer with an exciting colour combination \u2013 blue, lime green, purple and pink. The saturated colours characteristic of J\u00e4nes\u2019s work are transformed into an otherworldly lucid colour harmony by the light passing through them. The great stylisation of the knight figures (near the Lihula Castle!) on the stained-glass windows deserves acknowledgement as well \u2013 in this case, the fragmented stained-glass method itself has been a fine cooperation partner to the artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reeli K\u00f5iv<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Secco160 x 3240 cm, 52 m\u00b2Soldered stained glass140 x 62,\u00a06 pcs.Not under conservation as a cultural monument In a valley near the Lihula manor house, organically blending into the landscape, lies a gigantic postmodernist cultural temple designed in the EKE Projekt design institute. The building\u2019s author is Rein Tomingas, and it was recognised as the […]","protected":false},"featured_media":2923,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[104,91,92],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n