Endel Ruberg
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Endel Ruberg | |
|---|---|
 Endel Ruberg in 1981 helping a young child create artwork. | |
| Born | 21 May 1917 |
| Died | 29 December 1989 (aged 72) |
| Occupations | Artist, Educator |
Endel Ruberg (21 May 1917 – 29 December 1989)[1] was an Estonian-Canadian artist, naturalist, and humanitarian. He is best known for his leather and watercolour artwork as well as his volunteer work with children.
Endel Ruberg was born in Virumaa, Estonia.[2][3] After the Soviet invasion and occupation of Estonia, Ruberg became a member of the Forest Brothers and fought against the Soviets. In 1941, he fled to Finland and participated in the Continuation War as part of the soomepoisid; a unit in the Finnish army during World War II made up mostly of Estonian volunteers, who preferred to fight against the Soviet Union in the ranks of the Finnish army instead of the armed forces of Germany. He was severely wounded in action in 1942. In August 1944, he returned to Estonia to fight against the advancing Red Army. In September 1944, fled by boat across the sea to Sweden. In 1951 he emigrated from Sweden to Canada.[4] He died in 1989 in Stockholm, Sweden while on holiday.[2]
Endel Ruberg's artwork won over 50 awards and prizes, among them the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Jubilee Medal (1978) for his contribution to Canadian art. Alar Kivilo's documentary film Ruberg (1977) profiles the artist's life and work.[5][6]
Leather art
Leather relief technique
Ruberg created leather artwork in low relief using traditional leather tooling methods and in high relief using a technique he developed himself. The high relief technique relies on applying a homemade paste to the reverse side of a leather piece for support, and then wrinkling, twisting, squeezing the front side to form three-dimensional shapes.
Direct contact with nature
Ruberg worked mostly in the forest of the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, in direct contact with nature. He valued the freedom and simplicity of nature, and felt that working outdoors was more inspiring and truthful to his art.[7] The film critic Natalie Edwards, in reviewing the documentary Ruberg, describes Ruberg's austere work environment as complementing his simple philosophy of life:
… the bird sounds, forest sights, rustic life, and devotion to nature create an atmosphere at one with the artist … we listen with openness to the simple unsophisticated beliefs of Ruberg as he speaks of the greater artistic value resulting from the simpler and more primitive handling of the work.[8]
Themes
Resilience in the face of adversity is a unifying theme in Ruberg's artwork. The objects of nature, such as trees and rocks, which must endure the harsh forces of weather are personified by Ruberg. He believed that "Every rock has its own face, its own attraction. Rocks are symbols of character. God has filled them with his teachings."[5] The narrator in the documentary Ruberg describes Ruberg's personification of trees:
Ruberg’s often reoccurring motif of a strong, windswept tree symbolizes the spiritual strength needed to confront the negative forces in life. The powerful roots planted firmly in the rocky soil remind us that our accomplishments relate to our cultural past, regardless of its modesty.[5]
In addition to landscapes, Ruberg created sentimental works that captured the mood felt by many in the Estonian exile community longing for their native land. In Omal Maal (1978) Ruberg depicts the skyline of Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. The reverse side of Omal Maal (1978) shows Ruberg's inscription, taken from the Estonian folk epic Kalevipoeg, the last few verses of canto XVI, expressing the joy one feels when returning home after a long journey.
