Nettie Horn -
MARKO MAETAMM | Love, Fear & Warning Signs
"All We Have Is Love" 2009
"All We Have Is Love" is another of Maetamm's pieces exploring marital boundaries. The somewhat clinical, animated cut-outs perform the physical act of love, instigated by Maetamm and resulting in his wife shifting away from him post-copulation. As with many of his works, there is the accompanying repetitive audio, which builds the sensorial base. In this case it is the unabating rubbing and smacking. The viewer is suspended between the immediate humour of the jolting figures, and a state of unease being confronted by the heavily graphic imagery.
"Muse" 2009
In this piece Maetamm invites the viewer into another intimate discussion with his wife as she unknowingly looks into the hidden camera situated behind his ear. She negatively responds to him asking if he can 'photograph her pussy'. The interest lies in her shifting body language, and the humour in their dialogue as they casually discuss the matter. The jolting 'home video' quality reminiscent of 'Being John Malcovich', and the sound of the children frolicking in the background generate the unashamedly real situation, which confronts the viewer.
"Same Room, Same Bed, Another Night" 2010
This is another of Maetamm's animations situated in the comfort of his bed. Maetamm appears to be battling with the mundane spiral of life, as suggested in the title, whilst looking up at the hypnotic blades of a room fan. The viewer shifts between the dialogue text, his figure meekly gazing up and the lengthy pauses of looming fan. The audio of the spinning fan is like a ticking clock as he undergoes a series of emotions and characters as therapy for ill feeling.
"Tryst" 2010
Tryst is a hilarious animated depiction of Maetamm reaching a climax of self-pleasure. The Pop exclamations that we do not bear witness to in other works may suggest a certain oneness and another insight into the pressures of marriage. At the end of the piece, the silhouette of his wife opens the door and he is like a deer caught in the headlights. As ever, the clinical setting versus the fast-paced jolts and noises make for uneasy but comical work. Needless to say, pumping ones bicycle tyre will never be the same.
THE HAIR
One night when I went to take a shower I found a hair in a very particular place - under my foreskin. It was a long dark hair so it certainly couldn't belong to my wife who had short blond hair at the time. I have no idea whose hair it was. And I have no idea how it got there. It still remains a mystery to me… Sometimes I think it was probably to do with aliens from outer space doing some kind of tests on me. Sounds stupid but there is just no other way to explain it…
I have never told my wife about this hair, and I don't think she would ever believe me. And she would never believe the aliens version either I guess…
HANDYMAN
This summer we decided to do a little renovation in our flat. Nothing special, just a few cosmetic improvements because it is a relatively new flat. I don`t feel that I'm very good at these things and also don`t have much free time so we agreed it would be better to find somebody else to do the work who is good and quick and hopefully not too expensive.
My wife was still on maternity leave at that time and said it was ok for her to stay at home and let the man in and make sure that everything was going well and so on. I was very happy with this arrangement because I actually feel so uncomfortable with "boys things" like building and renovating and I`d rather stay away from all that if possible.
So I didn`t need to worry about anything - the handyman always came in the morning after I had gone to work and left before I came back home in the evening and my wife was taking care of everything.
But time went by and there was no end to it because my wife always found some new little thing for him to do and the handyman always had some reason why he couldn't finish the job that evening and had to come back again the next day.
Then the autumn came and our home was still a big mess, actually a much bigger mess than it had been before the renovations began - no kitchen door, half of the floor taken up, walls painted in several different colours etc. etc. I was so tired of it all that I decided to call the handyman myself. I said he must finish the job immediately because we were planning to sell the flat and that somebody was coming to see it in two days time. Of course we were not planning to sell the flat, I made it up to sound more serious.
I didn`t tell my wife about it as she was away in the countryside visiting her mother when the handyman came.
This was the first time I ever saw this handyman.
"All We Have Is Love" is another of Maetamm's pieces exploring marital boundaries. The somewhat clinical, animated cut-outs perform the physical act of love, instigated by Maetamm and resulting in his wife shifting away from him post-copulation. As with many of his works, there is the accompanying repetitive audio, which builds the sensorial base. In this case it is the unabating rubbing and smacking. The viewer is suspended between the immediate humour of the jolting figures, and a state of unease being confronted by the heavily graphic imagery.
"Muse" 2009
In this piece Maetamm invites the viewer into another intimate discussion with his wife as she unknowingly looks into the hidden camera situated behind his ear. She negatively responds to him asking if he can 'photograph her pussy'. The interest lies in her shifting body language, and the humour in their dialogue as they casually discuss the matter. The jolting 'home video' quality reminiscent of 'Being John Malcovich', and the sound of the children frolicking in the background generate the unashamedly real situation, which confronts the viewer.
"Same Room, Same Bed, Another Night" 2010
This is another of Maetamm's animations situated in the comfort of his bed. Maetamm appears to be battling with the mundane spiral of life, as suggested in the title, whilst looking up at the hypnotic blades of a room fan. The viewer shifts between the dialogue text, his figure meekly gazing up and the lengthy pauses of looming fan. The audio of the spinning fan is like a ticking clock as he undergoes a series of emotions and characters as therapy for ill feeling.
"Tryst" 2010
Tryst is a hilarious animated depiction of Maetamm reaching a climax of self-pleasure. The Pop exclamations that we do not bear witness to in other works may suggest a certain oneness and another insight into the pressures of marriage. At the end of the piece, the silhouette of his wife opens the door and he is like a deer caught in the headlights. As ever, the clinical setting versus the fast-paced jolts and noises make for uneasy but comical work. Needless to say, pumping ones bicycle tyre will never be the same.
THE HAIR
One night when I went to take a shower I found a hair in a very particular place - under my foreskin. It was a long dark hair so it certainly couldn't belong to my wife who had short blond hair at the time. I have no idea whose hair it was. And I have no idea how it got there. It still remains a mystery to me… Sometimes I think it was probably to do with aliens from outer space doing some kind of tests on me. Sounds stupid but there is just no other way to explain it…
I have never told my wife about this hair, and I don't think she would ever believe me. And she would never believe the aliens version either I guess…
HANDYMAN
This summer we decided to do a little renovation in our flat. Nothing special, just a few cosmetic improvements because it is a relatively new flat. I don`t feel that I'm very good at these things and also don`t have much free time so we agreed it would be better to find somebody else to do the work who is good and quick and hopefully not too expensive.
My wife was still on maternity leave at that time and said it was ok for her to stay at home and let the man in and make sure that everything was going well and so on. I was very happy with this arrangement because I actually feel so uncomfortable with "boys things" like building and renovating and I`d rather stay away from all that if possible.
So I didn`t need to worry about anything - the handyman always came in the morning after I had gone to work and left before I came back home in the evening and my wife was taking care of everything.
But time went by and there was no end to it because my wife always found some new little thing for him to do and the handyman always had some reason why he couldn't finish the job that evening and had to come back again the next day.
Then the autumn came and our home was still a big mess, actually a much bigger mess than it had been before the renovations began - no kitchen door, half of the floor taken up, walls painted in several different colours etc. etc. I was so tired of it all that I decided to call the handyman myself. I said he must finish the job immediately because we were planning to sell the flat and that somebody was coming to see it in two days time. Of course we were not planning to sell the flat, I made it up to sound more serious.
I didn`t tell my wife about it as she was away in the countryside visiting her mother when the handyman came.
This was the first time I ever saw this handyman.
Marko Maetamm
FUNNY DREAM-1, 2008
70x60cm
Photographic print
(MM 0056)
Marko Maetamm
FUNNY DREAM-2, 2008
70x60cm
Photographic print
(MM 0057)
Marko Maetamm
FUNNY DREAM-3, 2008
70x60cm
Photographic print
(MM 0058)
Marko Maetamm
FUNNY DREAM-4, 2008
70x60cm
Photographic print
(MM 0059)
Marko Maetamm
FUNNY DREAM-6, 2008
70x60cm
Photographic print
(MM 0061)
Marko Maetamm
Same room, same bed, another night, 2010
4:07mn
Animation
(MM 0099)
Marko Maetamm
All we have is love, 2009
2:20mn
Animation
(MM 0097)
Marko Maetamm
Muse, 2009
3:02mn
Video
(MM 0098)
Marko Maetamm
Coming-Not coming, 2010
2:03mn
Animation
(MM 0100)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 1 (Oven), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0011)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 2 (Pillow), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0012)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 3 (Bath), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0013)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 4 (White Carpet), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0014)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 5 (Sunbathing guy), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0015)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 6 (Shower), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0016)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 7 (Colourful Carpet), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0017)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 8 (Couple, Sink), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0018)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 10 (Chimney), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0020)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 11 (Bed), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0021)
Marko Maetamm
Little drama 12 (Toilet), 2009
15x15x13 cm
Plastic, fabric, wood
(MM 0022)
Marko Maetamm
Bleeding House 8 (b), 2010
21 x 29.7 cm
Pen and ink on paper
(MM 0104)
Marko Maetamm
Bleeding House 5, 2010
21 x 29.7 cm
Pen and ink on paper
(MM 0105)
Marko Maetamm
Bleeding house 10, 2010
21 x 29.7 cm
Pen and ink on paper
(MM 0106)
Marko Maetamm
Bleeding House 11 (b), 2010
21 x 29.7 cm
Pen and ink on paper
(MM 0107)
Marko Maetamm
Bleeding House 13 (a), 2010
21 x 29.7 cm
Pen and ink on paper
(MM 0108)
Marko Maetamm
Bleeding House 16 (a), 2010
21 x 29.7 cm
Pen and ink on paper
(MM 0109)
Marko Maetamm
Bleeding House 18 (a), 2010
21 x 29.7 cm
Pen and ink on paper
(MM 0110)
Marko Maetamm
Bleeding House 20 (a), 2010
21 x 29.7 cm
Pen and ink on paper
(MM 0112)
Marko Maetamm
Bleeding House 15 (a), 2010
21 x 29.7 cm
Pen and ink on paper
(MM 0113)
NETTIE HORN is pleased to present the first UK solo exhibition by the
Estonian artist Marko Mäetamm. Having represented Estonia at the 52nd
Venice Biennale in 2007, Mäetamm presents here a new body of work
consisting of a series of sculptures, video animations, photographs and
drawings. Being simultaneously autobiographical and fictional, Mäetamm's
works embody, with humour and auto-derision, authentic odes to life
alongside acidic complaints on the complex familial and sentimental
relationships between oneself and others. Flirting inexorably with his
own reality, Mäetamm enjoys the act of confessing; his status as an
artist being predominantly at the origin of a series of fictional
"mises-en-scènes" during which conflicts and familial dramas escalate,
sometimes towards irreversible acts.
Throughout Maetamm's world of disconcerting sincerity, the spectator becomes a privilegied viewer to the intimate worries and emotional tragedies experienced by the artist and at the same time identifies with the issues addressed within the works.
Maetamm's latest body of work is particularly centered on his relationship with his wife and the ambiguous and ambivalent emotions attached to certain conflictual aspects of an amorous relationship. Confronting his personal feelings often leads him to address critical topics in society, such as the role of the family, consumerism, jealousy, sex, domestic violence... His act of transcribing, often very bluntly, certain private moments introduces a humorous and yet invaluably sincere take on these universal emotions and taboo feelings which are guiltlessly exposed by the artist in a series of narratives reminiscent of a contemporary satire. Mäetamm's work is ironically subtle and plays with the daunting aspects of life in general; his sculptural series "Little Dramas" presents us with suicide scenes assembled playfully with miniature toys - and ironically presenting various extreme solutions to the daily grind.
The apparent naïvety in Maëtamm's works stems from an orchastrated play created to overcome certain fears; almost as a way to avoid confronting in a responsible and adult manner any so-called rational truths and daily conflicts. Confronted with this emotional outpour, varied reactions from the viewer ensue, from a deep sense of unease to an unexpected and yet liberating laugh.
Throughout Maetamm's world of disconcerting sincerity, the spectator becomes a privilegied viewer to the intimate worries and emotional tragedies experienced by the artist and at the same time identifies with the issues addressed within the works.
Maetamm's latest body of work is particularly centered on his relationship with his wife and the ambiguous and ambivalent emotions attached to certain conflictual aspects of an amorous relationship. Confronting his personal feelings often leads him to address critical topics in society, such as the role of the family, consumerism, jealousy, sex, domestic violence... His act of transcribing, often very bluntly, certain private moments introduces a humorous and yet invaluably sincere take on these universal emotions and taboo feelings which are guiltlessly exposed by the artist in a series of narratives reminiscent of a contemporary satire. Mäetamm's work is ironically subtle and plays with the daunting aspects of life in general; his sculptural series "Little Dramas" presents us with suicide scenes assembled playfully with miniature toys - and ironically presenting various extreme solutions to the daily grind.
The apparent naïvety in Maëtamm's works stems from an orchastrated play created to overcome certain fears; almost as a way to avoid confronting in a responsible and adult manner any so-called rational truths and daily conflicts. Confronted with this emotional outpour, varied reactions from the viewer ensue, from a deep sense of unease to an unexpected and yet liberating laugh.
Marko Mäetamm was born in 1965 in Viljandi (Estonia). He lives and works in Tallinn (Estonia). Recent solo shows include: Another Day with My Family, Kunstraum Goethestrasse XTD, Linz, Austria, 2009; Kicsiny Balàzs & Marko Mäetamm, Gallery of Hungarian Institute, Tallinn, Estonia (2008) ; From There to Here, Nosbaum&Reding, Luxembourg (2007); Loser's Paradise, Estonian Pavilion at 52nd Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy (2007). Recent group shows include: XXI Brooklyn International Film Festival, Brooklyn, NY, 2009 ; Hors Piste, Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2009 ; Locws international 4: Art across the City, Swansea, UK, 2009 ; Home Sweet Home, Dorsky Gallery, NY, 2009 ; Helsinki Biennale 2008, Helsinki, Finland; Paradise Is Not Lost, Gallery Zurab Tsereteli, Moscow, Russia , 2008; Baltic States, part III, Contemporary Art From Estonia, Kalmar Konstmuseum, Kalmar, Sweden (2007).
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