Jussi Goman: 1.618.
Galerie Forsblom, 23.9–23.10.2022
Jussi Goman’s new exhibition presents his recent contemplations on the concept of perfection or, more precisely, its measurability. One yardstick that is used for defining perfection, both in nature and art history, is the Golden Section. This ratio also known as the divine proportion recurs everywhere in nature, from seashells to horns and antlers. Goman offers his own take on the Golden Section in his wittily nuanced idiom of painting, engaging his brush in pursuit of perfect proportions and harmony of color. The artist is intrigued also by how contemporary society so readily embraces a supposedly universal fact such as the notion that the perfect proportions of the Golden Section must automatically be perceived by everyone as pleasing to the eye.
Goman’s carefully measured stripes and grids provide a solid foundation upon which he paints freely and generously, without having to worry about a messy result. The grids remind the artist of his childhood schoolbooks, whose margins he used to fill with cartoons and doodles. Goman describes his latest paintings as more liberated and expressive than his earlier work, his canvases thronged with drawings and writing, just like the intuitively embellished pages of his old schoolbooks.
The exhibition additionally features a selection of ceramic sculptures that echo the wild, colorful style of Goman’s paintings. Also in subject matter, his sculptures repeat his paintings, with canine figures, nature motifs, and life’s whole rich tapestry popping out in three dimensions. Goman’s approach to his subject matter is bold and mischievous, as evinced by his adventurous combinations of materials – his sculptures acquire a wholly new identity after being coated with spray paint.
Goman (b.1980) graduated from Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts in 2008. He is represented in Finland’s leading museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki City Museum HAM, and the Saastamoinen Foundation Collection. He is the 2020 winner of the William Thuring Foundation grand prize, and in 2021 he completed a major public commission for the City of Riihimäki.