I had never heard of Vinn until one day I was rambling around the marvellous 50watts drooling over Russian bookplates, and accidentally stumbled across Vinn’s illustrations for Helvi Jürisson's Putukajutud (Insect Stories, 1983, Estonia). I fell head over heels - possibly because of the insects, but also the intricacy and humour in the drawings ...
I grew up in the 1970s and early ‘80s when this genre of artwork was popular on album covers, posters, cartoons, films, illustrations etc. I am sure this is an influence which has found its way into what I do now (in spite of years of art school training!) and perhaps a reason Vinn’s work resonates so strongly with me.
I would love to know more about Vello Vinn and his work, but I am finding it a struggle. The critic and historian Jüri Hain refers to Vinn as a 'curiosity in Estonian graphic art'*. Even Will Schofield remarks on his Vello Vinn page on 50watts that he has been unable to find any collections of Vinn's work either in print or online, and notes that no-one in Estonia has apparently ever attempted to imitate Vinn's work. Maybe not in Estonia, but somebody here in Scotland fancies a go ...
I'd love to get hold of a copy of Putukajutud - if anybody knows where I could find one, please get in touch!
*Jüri Hain’s essay in Eesti Kunstnikud / Artists of Estonia (2007, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Estonia).