![Osmo-Valtonen-1969](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Osmo-Valtonen-1969.jpg)
Osmo Kalervo Valtonen (30 January 1929 – 3 May 2002) was an artist from
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. He was a pioneer of
kinetic art in Finland. His most popular works were machines which drew shapes in sand.
Valtonen was one of the founders of Dimensio group in 1972, and chair of the group 1976–1979. The group consisted of artists, engineers, composers and scientists. They developed and exhibited "engineering esthetics".
Many of Valtonen's works are based on simple geometric forms. His sand drawers move slowly creating shapes in sand, reminding
Japanese rock garden
The or Japanese rock garden, often called a zen garden, is a distinctive style of Japanese garden. It creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and us ...
s or the plough marks on farmer's field.
Valtonen received the Swedish
Prince Eugen Medal
The Prince Eugen Medal ( sv, Prins Eugen-medaljen) is a medal conferred by the King of Sweden for "outstanding artistic achievement".
The medal was established in 1945 by the then King of Sweden, Gustaf V, in connection with the eightieth birthd ...
in 1998.
References
External links
Pikku ElliSand drawer. Finnish National Gallery.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valtonen, Osmo
1929 births
2002 deaths
20th-century Finnish sculptors