Litistetyt

Litistetyt is a term used in Finnish contemporary art criticism to describe works in which form is deliberately reduced to a flattened, shallow relief. The concept emphasizes a suppression of volume in favor of surface, line, and texture, often achieved through pressing, embossing, or computational flattening. The term is Finnish and is primarily found in exhibition wall texts, catalog essays, and academic articles rather than as an official art movement.

Etymology: The adjective derives from the verb litistää, “to flatten or press flat.” Litistetyt functions as both a descriptor and a plural noun for objects or works that exhibit the flattening principle.

Characteristics: Litistetyt works display minimal depth, with a focus on planarity and the interplay of light and shadow across a surface. Forms may be initially three-dimensional but are subsequently reduced or cast to shallow reliefs. Color palettes are frequently restrained, often monochrome or limited to a small range, to emphasize surface modulation over chromatic effects.

Techniques and media: Artists use relief printing, embossing, stamping, and press-based methods on materials such as wood, metal, clay, plaster, or paper. Digital processes can simulate flattening, producing prints or video work that deploys flatness as a formal language.

Context and reception: The term has circulated in Finnish critique since the early 2000s, linked to minimalist and constructivist vocabularies while remaining a descriptive rather than codified movement. It provides a convenient label for a family of works that foreground surface and perception over volumetric presence.

See also: low relief, bas-relief, embossing, flattening in art, minimalism.