Description
Jenni Viita is a Finnish artist. In her lithographies, detailed figurations are combined with various patterns. Classical body representations are surrounded by curved motifs, ranging from plants to large abstract elements. The contrast between the bodies and patterns is created through lithography.
Viita discovered her passion lithography during her fine art studies. For her, “lithography allows you to create with such a versatile mark making” (2019). The adaptability of this technique is what leads her to appreciate it very much. Lithography allows for a wide variety of images thanks to its process. Different greasy mediums can be used, such as usche, crayon, pencils, lacquer, or synthetic materials, on a flat stone or metal plate. This printing surface is then kept wet and a oil-based inking roller is rolled over the surface. As grease and water don’t mix, the ink will only stick to the areas where there is already grease, this means the area where oil-based mediums have been used. Finally, the final image appears when paper is placed against the surface and the printing press is used. The flexibility of this technique comes from the fact that many different mediums and techniques can be used to first create the image, instead of simply carving a plate like in most other print-making processes.
