Atelier Insights #4 Antti Heikkinen
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Time to read 1 min
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Time to read 1 min
We had a priviledge to have a little chat with Antti Heikkinen regarding his Atelier. So welcome to the Atelier Insights #4!
AH: My workspace is located in Lappeenranta, upstairs in this wooden, grey, and slightly weather-beaten schoolbuilding. The surroundings - the waterfront of Lake Saimaa, the tall pine and birch trees, and all the little creatures roaming around the area - make it a special place to work.
"I have also been exploring ways to reduce the intensity of the marks I make"
AH: Over the past few months, I have been doing a lot of experimenting with paper-based materials, having a play on the interface of printmaking and painting. I have discovered new techniques that suit my often fast-paced working style. Working on paper with watercolours and drawing tools enables me to build up the necessary volume for the process. I have also been exploring ways to reduce the intensity of the marks I make. I don’t want to suppress my natural habits while making gestures, but with some gadgets or whatsoever it’s possible to damp the marks while still letting my practice flow freely.
AH: While working in this studio, I have based my practice on structured disorder. ’The room’ is a place, where field notes and raw materials can simmer at a low temperature. When the time is right, things seem to find their place quite naturally.
Motifs and materials interact with each other, often leading me to new and obscure ’places’. I am the one who puts the heat on and is in response, but the room provides the space in which this kind of act can take place. In practical terms, the space has its own limitations that affect on my work, and I am just trying to adapt to these circumstances. For example, the sloped, low ceiling means there is hardly any wall space. Nevertheless, this is the place where horses run free. : -)
