Tree - sculpture
Sculptor Kim Jotuni
Created by the sculptor Kim Jotuni, “Puu” (tree) located in the H Building of the Vaasa Central Hospital is made of laminated pine board and painted pine squares set on a background of birch plywood. Jotuni wanted to make a wooden work for the hospital due to the material being an ecologically sound choice and also because the material goes hand in hand with the theme of the work.
Kim Jotuni emphasises learning and understanding various methods of working with material
I am sculptor from Järvenpää and wood is especially close to my heart as a material. I have completed degrees of both Master of Arts and Master of Visual Arts.
I emphasise learning and understanding various methods of working with material, such as sculpting, casting, welding, modelling and animation. When working, I feel that my “thinking hands” will lead me to new ideas in interaction with the material used.
Wood and metal are both materials that I have used for long and that often complement each other in my work. I find inspiration in structures hidden in nature, repetition and the interplay of order and chaos.
Photos: Sami Pulkkinen
Making “Tree”
" Tree" is made of laminated pine board and painted pine squares set on a background of birch plywood. The tree itself and the plywood background were both processed with a lightly tinted wood stain. Inside the foliage, there are also birds that were shaped and painted by hand.
The idea for the work came from the nature around the hospital. I wanted to create a work made out of wood for this location as an ecological choice and also because the material goes hand in hand with the theme of the work. I created a tree in the space using digital manufacturing methods, such as 3D modelling CNC milling. I consider these methods to represent the power that man-made culture has over nature and the individual – both in good and bad. In a broad sense it is culture that modifies, allows and impacts what individuals and nature evolve to be as part of its processes.
Overwhelmingly most of the time spent making the work was spent in designing and modelling. The actual production phase went according to plan. The most significant challenge was protecting the work and making sure people cannot climb on it. Together we finally decided to protect the work with plexiglass.
Making of "Tree" sculpture.
Creating the work took a year, but during that year I also worked on other works and an exhibition. If I had focused only on this one work, I estimate it would have taken me approximately 4–5 months to finish.
The work being situated in psychiatric ward enforced a specific framework for both its form and content. I wanted to create a work that is safe and interesting to look at. On the other hand, I also wanted it to have many different levels and to enable reflecting on the relationship between people and nature.
