SILJA PURANEN
1961
Finland
The focus of my works is in the unforeseen process of life and the contrast between reality and the commonly accepted ideals in life. What do we (or others) expect our life to be and what are the chances of those who do not meet the norms? What happens when we lose control?
I use found materials, textiles with a history. I transfer digitally manipulated photograph on the worn-out surface, stitch and embroider. My works combine contemporary technology with traditional slow handicraft. Hard and soft. The second hand domestic textiles represent home, shelter, memory, body and identity. The photographs tell stories about the relations of and individual and the society. The old quilts and blankets give protection to the human figures printed on them. The pieces found from flea markets and attics tell their stories of lived life.
Some of my most recent works are accompanied by a needlework detail of the photograph on textile. By using a technique which is concerned kitsch and banal from the artistic point of view, I want to question the ideas of an original and a copy as well as the value of an artwork if it is accomplished by a method which is commonly mastered by craft enthusiasts.
