MallNukke

Estonian ego

Pop and camp still exist.
In her self-portrait as part of the “Ego” series, Nukke portrays herself as a pop artist. At the same time an analysis of her work as pop art without once using the word “camp” would be fairly difficult. Nukke’s popularity is a good illustration of why pop art and camp have a common and underlying attraction – her pieces give the impression that this is an artist who truly enjoys her work. Bright happy colours, decoration, familiar images, a certain element of playfulness and a sense of nostalgia – lets be frank, this is all very attractive.

Mari Laaniste, art critic
Postimees, 2000, 12 April

Estonian Egos at the City Gallery

On 4 April Mall Nukke’s exhibition “Estonian Ego” opened at the City Gallery in Tallinn.
In this exhibition the artist presents 25 portrait collages. Nukke’s subjects work in the arts, and they are her friends or well-known society personalities. Among the chosen are Hasso Krull, Karl-Martin Sinijärv, Raoul Kurvitz, Mare Tralla, Peeter Laurits, Inessa Josing and others. In any case, the people portrayed have, to a lesser or greater extent, aroused interest in the media. According to Nukke, the portraits are not so much traditional pictures of faces, but an analysis of their creative “I”. The show is a two-part exhibition, and the first part “Icon 2000” opened last week at Sammas Gallery.

Sigrid Saarep
Sirp, 2000, 7 April