The Ritual Art of Siim-Tanel Annus

During his time as a student, Siim-Tanel Annus became a member of an influential circle of artists and theorists, grouped around Tonis Vint. Although he had already undergone a long artistic development, he was still thought of as a `young artist.' He is thus a `phenomenon,' without age, without period, and outside trends. From the beginning he has created drawings - sensitive, abstract images composed of tiny dots. Later he created geometric forms in black and white. He threw himself into performance art before it became common in Estonia in the 1980s; his `garden parties' caused scandals. Birds, sun, moon, energy, earth, water, air - all these were personified in his performances, as his pictures had been intended to represent `Light in Paradise.' His actions are ritualistic, rich in symbolism, but everything is subordinate to the creation of a visual image which the artist conceives of just as he does most of his graphic works.

© 1998-2008 The Roland Collection & Pira Intl.