Lasse Marttinen's Home Page

Keskiviikon TV-pääuutisten lopussa kulttuuriuutinen Lasse Marttisesta

Canto rubato
published in 1984

 Lasse Marttinen on poikkeus suomalaisessa taiteessa. Han on viivan, pinnan ja varin hienostunut mestari. Hanen tyylinsa on leikkimielinen ja mielikuvia herattava. Han haastaa ja avaa silmia. Han on fauvistien ja Ben Nicholsonin sukulaissielu. 

 Sodanjalkeisessa Suomessa Lasse Marttinen oli taiteen edellakavija, joka taisteli tunkkaista variskaalaa, valohamyja, perspektiivimaalausta ja klassisia suhdelukuja vastaan. Mutta tyo jatkuu. Paras maalaus on viela maalaamatta. 

Kari Grohn
Lasse’s friend


Abstract painter and sculptor Lasse Marttinen is extraordinary in Finnish art. He is a sophisticated master of line, surface, and colour. His style is playful and evocative. He challenges. He heaves invisible into view. 

In postwar Finland Lasse Marttinen was a forerunner who battled against dingy colour palette, chiaroscuro, perspective and classical ratios. He owes the Fauves and Ben Nicholson a debt. But life work continues. The best painting is still unpainted.

Kari Grohn 
Lasse’s friend 

Lasse Marttinen

Born 1926 in Helsinki
Finnish Art Academy School 1946-48
Free Art School 1947-49
Co-founder of the Bronda artist group 1953-1962
Musician 1945-56, composer of film music
Actor of the Student Theatre 
Set designer of the Student Theatre and Intimiteatteri 1956-60
Founder and headmaster of the Espoo Art School 1968-
Columnist and author (periodicals, radio plays, Canto rubato 1986, Mietelmia ´Meditations` 1990)
Personal and joint exhibitions in Finland and abroad ca. 70
Portraits ca. 500
Works in museums and collections e.g. the State Art Collection of Finland, Amos Anderson Art Museum, Oulu Art Museum, Tampere Museum of Modern Art, Nelimarkka Museum, Demarde pro Arte, Foundation Arcto, collections of cities and banks, private collections