Critical theory text discussing themes and origins of contemporary art. The title, "Synnyt," refers to the Finnish word meaning 'birth' and 'to be born,' and also to Finnish mythology, in which the word alluded to a story that "explained the cause or origin of a given creature, disease or other phenomenon and it was believed that knowledge of the true 'synty' or origin gave its possessor power over the phenomenon in question." -- introductory statement. The authors examine the psychological and cultural roots of contemporary art, and the relationship between art and reality. These origins are divided into eight themes, including Memory, Dreams, Matter, Earth, Representation, Emotion, Thought, and Utopia, each accompanied by an essay and images of related artworks. Authors include Tor-Björn Hägglund, Yrjänä Levanto, Lauri Anttila, Mikael Enckell, Jaakko Lintinen, Peter von Bagh, Altti Kuusamäo, and Keijo Rahkonen, with foreward by Juhana Blomstedt and Juhani Pallasmaa. Artists referenced include Marina Abramovic, Martti Aiha, Tadao Ando, Lauri Anttila, Dieter Appelt, Tor Arne, Art and Language, Mel Ramsden, Michael Baldwin, Francis Bacon, Miquel Barcelo, Luis Barragan, Georg Baselitz, Joseph Beuys, Domenico Bianchi, Ross Bleckner, Mel Bochner, Klaus Bonderup, Søren Birch, Ellen Waade, Jon Borofsky, Boyle Family, Bård Breivik, Daniel Buren, Scott Burton, Kari Cavén, Bruno Ceccobelli, Francesco Clemente, Enzo Cucchi. Christo, Richard Deacon, Jan Dibbets, Martin Disler, Georg Jiri Dokoupil, Helmut Federle, Hreinn Fridfinnsson, Hamish Fulton, Frank O. Gehry, Gilbert and George, Leon Golub, April Gornik, Michael Graves, Philip Guston, Michael Heizer, John Hejduk, Eva Hesse, Nancy Holt, Jack Helen Brut, Bill Jensen, Donald Judd, Anish Kapoor, On Kawara, Ellsworth Kelly, Anselm Kiefer, Per Kirkeby, Jussi Kivi, Yves Klein, Jiri Kolar, Joseph Kosuth, Jannis Kounellis, Barbara Kruger, Matti Kujasalo, Wolfgang Laib, Leonhard Lapin, Christopher Le Brun, Daniel Libeskind, Richard Long, Leena Luostarinen, Markus Lüpertz, Olli Lyytikäinen, Imre Makovecz, Robert Mangold, Robert Mapplethorpe, Gordon Matta-Clark, Allan Mccollum, Ian McKeever, François Morellet, Robert Morris, Elizabeth Murray, Jukka Mäkelä, Marika Mäkelä, David Nash, Barnett Newman, Bjørn Nørgaard, A. R. Penck, Arnulf Rainer, Gerwald Rockenschaub, Susan Rothenberg, Rúrí, Robert Ryman, David Salle, Johan Scott, Sean Scully, Richard Serra, Joel Shapiro, Cindy Sherman, José Maria Sicilia, Giuseppe Spagnulo, Kain Tapper, Sissel Tolaas / Milovan Markovicz, David Tremlett, Richard Tuttle, John Walker, Andy Warhol, and Richard Wentworth. Edited by Timo Valjakka. Features full-color plates of selected works. Text in Swedish and English.
