Henna Vainio – Legs (Cobalt)
5 color silkscreen print
Edition of 15
22" x 30"
From a series of four silkscreen prints which are drawn from cropped sections of Vainio’s large-scale sculptures that she creates through the use of tinted plaster cast from bent and balanced corrugated cardboard molds.
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Henna Vainio’s series of sculptures titled Legs (from which our series of prints are based) are cast from bent and balanced corrugated cardboard molds. The various interlocking lengths of her sculptures become anamorphic and are suggestive of limbs in various states of motion; each is at once fluid and solid, both stable and vulnerable.
To create these printed works we captured photographs of the sculptural pieces in Henna’s studio. We responded to the idea of the impression she creates through the casting process and were inspired by the material journey our prints could extend; from cardboard sheets to a plaster impression, from a cropped photograph to a graphic, screenprinted reproduction. The parallel lines of the corrugated material becomes a graphic motif throughout the four prints. The complex shapes, highlights and cast shadows are all captured graphically using screenprint’s ubiquitous halftone dots.
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Henna Vainio (b. 1981, Finland) lives and works in San Francisco. Vainio earned her MFA from Slade School of Fine Art, UCL in London and her BFA from Chelsea College of Arts in London. She has had solo exhibitions at Ratio 3, San Francisco, Outpost, Norwich, UK; Capital, San Francisco; and Pracownia Potretu, Lodz, Poland. In August, 2019 Vainio presented Hardstep, a solo exhibition of new sculptural work at Josh Lilley Gallery, London.
Vainio’s primary medium is pigmented plaster from which she builds lean freestanding statues cast from molds of corrugated cardboard sheeting, and wall-hanging slabs cast from squashed towels and other pliant textiles. Along with plaster, she uses glass to fuse together layers of gesture, shape, and opacity of heated and cooled forms, embedding them with components of everyday materials.
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Our typical framing practice is to float mount prints with 1-inch of space around the print. This is a method of framing that keeps the art fully visible in the frame and leaves the edges of the cotton papers exposed. A spacer is added to the frame to keep the artwork from touching the plexiglass. Float mounting requires adhering the print to an acid free foam core back or mat board using acid free linen tape.
UV-filtering plexiglass is used for all frames, an option that has become the industry standard. Plexiglass is lighter, scratch-resistant & shatter-resistant (essential for shipping). It also provides more UV protection and less glare than glass.
Standard Framing – We work with online framing company Simply Framed to offer three standard framing finishes; White, Natural and Black. For those interested in different finishes beyond these three, they can view the full selection of Simply Framed options and email us prior to purchase, allowing us to provide a quote and finalize arrangements.
More about the Standard Framing process
Premium Framing – We work with Boston-based fine art framers, Adjective Art & Framing to select specific framing options for each of our invited artist editions. Adjective builds custom-made contemporary hardwood frames for artists, collectors, galleries, and museums. Their standard line of moldings are milled from sustainably sourced hardwoods (often Ash, Maple, Walnut or Cherry) that are then custom stained or lacquered. Adjective backs all their frames with sturdy wooden strainers, reinforcing their structure and allowing their profiles to be narrower - an elegant way to present contemporary prints.
For those interested in different finishes beyond those we’ve selected, they can view the full offering of finishes from Adjective and email us prior to purchase, allowing us to provide a quote and finalize arrangements.
