Maija Luutonen Patch

Maija Luutonen’s (b. 1978, FI) large-scale, vividly coloured paintings are made primarily on paper, chosen for its suitability for direct experimentation as well as for the immaterial nature of the white ‘negative’ spaces created on its surface. Considering the material to have a transient quality, she addresses the relation between time and movement, treating the works as an ensemble of slowly moving images rather than complete or final objects. This open-endedness is underlined by the presentation of the work leant against the wall, piled up, folded or placed in front of a door or window. Bringing together colour and light with references to the built environment and nature, Luutonen explores the possibilities for creating the illusion of spatial immersion on a flat surface. She retains in the paintings elements that are awkward or unresolved but nonetheless interesting and dynamic.