Almost Wordless Wednesday

Andy Warhol, Crosses, Giclee print, 1981-82

Even modern artists, under their oh so clever hip society cap, 

might surprise us and ponder the call of this season.
 

We are marching toward Jerusalem: Wednesday, Holy Week.

for more Wordless Wednesday, go here.

FINTAGE

Quite recently I did a poster for Fintage; a Finnish vintage forum, community and blog. I tried to be somewhat active at the forum when it started a year ago but couldn't keep up as I just don't have the time to blog, tweet, update a facebook page and maybe even read some blogs every now and then... (and, you know, a have life off line too).

The theme of the poster was to be people on a certain bridge in one Finnish city. Can you tell which one? I'm not from around there so I had to rely on photos and google street view for some help :)You can click on the image for a larger view.

(As usual I always end up with two versions, the client's one and a more plain one I prefer, you can view the other one here.)

To Kiss

Gustave Klimnt, "The Kiss"

A day for kissing. Officially sanctioned.  

What's not to love?

Happy Valentine's Day!

COME TO FINLAND!

Posters and postcards from the Come To Finland book; a book about vintage travel posters for Finland. I love old travel posters, and well, old posters in general. It's also interesting to see branding for Finland from back in the days.

You can browse the book as a whole online - I found some posters I remember form my childhood that were on the walls of our summerhouse (they still are actually). You can buy the posters and cards separately too, but I'll go for the book (and I actually intend to get it now, and not wait for some years like I unintentionally did with the Jaffas...)

EDIT : I have to add, as I realized many of you do not know; it's interesting and a bit sad too perhaps to see the poster for Wiipuri - Finland lost that big and old city to Soviet after the war, and tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes, buildings and businesses behind. Some of my family lived there in the early 1900's too.

THE BEGINNING, THE END, AND EVERYTHING THERE IN BETWEEN

You know I'm a big fan of animations of different kind, especially stop motion.
I'm also intrigued by so called street art; big fan of Banksy.

This is by Blu, and it's amazing:


It's a little long, I know, but worth watching!
(And as usual thinking about the making of gives me a headache...)

THE BOUDOIR SERIES

The result of the Atelieri shoot a month back, inspired by erotic photographs from the early 1900s (my hand however modestifying the photo a bit, for internet's sake..).

These can be seen along with the rest of the series at the "Alice in Wonderland"- exhibition about contemporary photography at Logomo in Turku, as part of the design capital 2011 happenings.
The exhibition will open on Friday and run until December.

THE JAFFAS

Some years ago I mentioned the Jaffa posters here on this blog; soda advertisements from the late fifties and early sixties that made the billboards again in a retro campaign a few years back. I've always wanted these posters and for some reason I kept on wondering how to get them until it last summer struck me - what the hell is wrong with me? Few things are ever further than a google away!
(Yes, really, sometime I am so old school I actually forget about the internet and think I have to find stuff in real life.)

A few minutes later two of the Jaffas where on their way home to me.

The posters are made by Erik Bruun, one of my favorite Finnish graphic designers (I really love this one too for example :). They can be ordered from his shop.

Easter Sunday!

Rubens, "The Resurrection of Christ"

Hallelujah, He is Risen!
He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!
It's Easter Sunday!!

This is it.
This is the reason I get out of bed in the morning, ultimately.
If it wasn't for this, I'm not sure I could, so many days.
It would just be too too hard.
But this, this makes it all worth it, more than worth it....
this makes it glorious.
Every day.
I don't even have the words....

Happy Happy Easter.
Go hop for joy!

Holy Saturday, Lamentations

Painting by Mantengna, c 1490

Holy Saturday.
We wait.
It is finished.
It is so silent, so sad.
It is a somber quiet day.
I think of his Mom.
And I ache for her.

Painting by Franz von Stuck, 1891

And today is an achy day, all around.
It hurts.
It should.
It is too quiet, too somber.
And yet, of course, not.
And we wait, happily for us, in joyful knowledge and hope, for tomorrow.
But still, today, we wait.

Holy Thursday

Painting by Tissot

Holy Thursday.
Maundy Thursday.
Last Supper.
Washing Feet.
Beginning of the Passion.
Tenebrae.
A hard somber night, leading into a hard day.
Jangled, disjointed, stripping the altar, moving the Blessed Sacrament out of the tabernacle.
Empty.
I always feel like crying at this service, "Don't take him!" my heart foolishly calls.
And then it is silent.
And we file out, in the sad silent dark from the now empty church.
He is gone.
It's Holy Thursday.....so it begins.

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