Leida Pello: How did you become a textile designer?
Erika Tammpere: It all happened by accident. I originally wanted to study Estonian language and literature. My friend, Aili Vint, she does sea paintings, said ‘let’s go to the Art Institute’ [since 1995 Estonian Academy of Arts]. In the credentials committee, I had chosen fashion design. It’s because the first Estonian fashion journals came out the year we were applying. And then, Natalie Mei [in 1960, was the head of textile and fashion department at the Art Institute] came to me before everyone confirmed whether they still wanted to study what they first chose, and said ‘listen, young lady, I looked at your paintings [during that one month candidates had to prepare something] and I think you should study either fine art or textile design.’ My grandfather was a theatre decorator in Narva, so I thought it’d be wiser to go into textile design. To be honest, I didn’t have this desire to get in. It went smoothly and I was accepted. There were only three of us at that course. During those six years of studying I had no love for this. But after a while I did realise how good it was that I studied this kind of a speciality.
LP: Do you remember all the works you have done?
ET: I am not a stranger to not recognising my work. I mean I am a process person. The outcome doesn’t matter; it is all about the process. That is the reason I do not have my own website, it is not important. There was a funny incident. It was my anniversary exhibition and I was going to different museum funds to see which of my work they have purchased and what to include from there. And then, there was this one carpet and the treasurer said ‘take this as well’ and I was like ‘it is not mine’. Then she rolled the carpet open and asked ‘whose label is this then?’ It does show that I can forget something I have done.
LP: How would you compare the artist’s situation during the soviet era and now?
ET: The Soviet power loved artists. For every year one worked, e.g. your work was part of an exhibition, was counted as a year of work experience. However, now, in terms of getting the work experience, since the new republic, artists aren’t loved. This law no longer exists. The artist will get work experience only, when he pays income tax in advance, even if he doesn’t work, and two or three years count as one year of experience. Even more so, back then, we all had a specific workplace that the ministry gave us after graduation; these were called designer positions. In my life, I have never had to look for a job, I have either been offered one or invited somewhere.
LP: What did the designer position stand for?
ET: The designer position meant one had to go to work on four days of the week and then one day was for creativity. Basically on three days you could do your own things. One month was meant for creative creations. This meant you could go wherever you wanted to within the Soviet Union, whether to Central Asia or the Caucasus. Afterwards, you had to create a reflective exhibition. They covered all the expenses and even gave a small daily allowance. It was pampering, wasn’t it. It would have been a sin not to use it.The designer position meant one had to go to work on four days of the week and then one day was for creativity. Basically on three days you could do your own things. One month was meant for creative creations. This meant you could go wherever you wanted to within the Soviet Union, whether to Central Asia or the Caucasus. Afterwards, you had to create a reflective exhibition. They covered all the expenses and even gave a small daily allowance. It was pampering, wasn’t it. It would have been a sin not to use it.
LP: Where were you assigned after graduation?
ET: It was in 1966, and Tartu wanted to have me, but they couldn’t offer me any accommodation. Hence, they decided to send me to Haapsalu. I went there with my daughter and we were put into a hotel, it was lovely. After three or four months, the head accountant came to say that the company could no longer pay for our accommodation. So we, those who were sent there, asked about the flats they had promised us. The accountant baffled and said that the director had given them to his relatives. That meant the only thing left was to go back to Tallinn and to the ministry. We were transferred to the textile factory Punane Koit [in English means red dawn]. That’s where the new Estonian Academy of Arts building will be.
 Venceremos and Erika Tammpere © Taso Tammpere |  Per aspera ad astra in progress © Taso Tammpere |
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 Erika Tammpere and her carpets covering a pond © Taso Tammpere |  Kuubikud © Taso Tammpere |
 Prominendid © Taso Tammpere |  Current work in progress © Leida Pello |
LP: What is the biggest piece you have ever done?
ET: I have this craze for monumental things, I think it’s a short person’s complex. The biggest work was at a very funny time. They were building a big cultural centre to Põlva and they needed grand drapes. The stage was quite big: 7m high and I think 14m wide. An ARS [Estonian SSR Art Foundation’s Tallinn Factory] weaver did it for me. I had to go to Moscow for an eye surgery, as they couldn’t do it in Estonia. I was in therapy in Moscow and whenever Taso came to visit me I gave him a couple of colour examples to give to the weaver and Taso had to write on them where to use that particular colour. Once I had recovered – I had glaucoma and cataract surgery in both eyes, one of them was already blind –, and went to see the progress, I had a shock. The main colour theme should have been with a blue undertone but this was all purple. It was an ugly purple like someone had sprayed ink on it. And then I thought what is this all going to cost. But when they got to the last pieces the purple had gone. They had put new lenses, which changed the colours so wildly, but I did notice that all the doctors and nurses had red faces; they looked weird.
LP: What was your first completely blind work?
ET: For two years [2013-2014] there was an exhibition dedicated to visually impaired artists in Italy. Artists who see were also allowed to participate. I made my first completely blind work. Before that, I had done one-third of a work looking with my brain, but this time it was all with my brain. Of course, Taso helped physically but I came up with the design and that’s how I did it. This exhibition was in four cities in Italy, I even got a diploma and a price and the final exhibition was in the Firenze Villa Medici.
LP: How long does it take to do a tapestry?
ET: Some take two years. In a day, if you are lucky enough, you manage to do a small piece of it. But weaving is so meditative. You sit there and for a year or two your life can only be the width of the tapestry. You move inside the studio, the project is 3x3m and the room itself is 4m high. With those big carpets, I was constantly climbing. First, on top of a small bench, then on top of a chair, then onto a stool on top of a table, then a ladder and this way up until you reach the ceiling. But at the same time, you are away, somewhere else; it’s euphoric. Your thought can travel to the other side of the world. There just is this type of people who take this process in them and enjoy it. At the same time, staying put in one place.
LP: How much care does your work need from the client?
ET: Rust doesn’t eat textile but moth does and so does dust. It means that it requires a lot of work and care from the owner. He has to make sure that it wouldn’t fade and that it has the right temperature. Once I sent my light and relatively big 4x2m carpet to Georgia, Tbilisi. We used to have cultural days in brother states. And when I got it back, it had big greasy marks on it. The way they prepare the exhibition is that the curator lays all the pieces on the floor. Then, he starts looking ‘oh, I’d hang this one here, at that height’ and then the workers start to hang them and accidentally one of them might be wearing muddy boots. These things are so ordinary; it’s good if it’s possible to get the stains out. Sometimes, the things are completely ruined. Textile demands a lot of care and attention, therefore, not many order textile unless it’s functional.
LP: Are there any upcoming exhibitions?
ET: One of my works is in Riga at the moment, on an exhibition. In May, the same international exhibition for visually impaired artists ‘ART SENSES’ will be held in the Pärnu’s Museum of New Art. Then the centre for visually impaired on Endla Street, in Tallinn asked whether I could do one exhibition there. I hope I manage to finish the piece I am working on at the moment. This exhibition will be in autumn. In August, the same ‘ART SENSES’ exhibition will be in Tallinn in the National Library of Estonia. There will be one in Tartu as well. And then, we also have this tapestry makers’ organisation called Vaba Tahe [in English means free will], there is ten of us and we have done some exhibitions with that. As you can understand, there are still things happening.
Võigud, körvid, raudjad
© Taso Tammpere