A Lifetime of Art

I am in Helsinki, in a private studio apartment on the 7th floor of the Lallukka Artist Home, an incredible functionalist style building built in 1933 as a refuge for artists. Today, the 51 units are filled with visual artists, composers, and performers. It is a symbol of the dedication and a lifetime commitment to art in Helsinki.

I arrived two days ago and was greeted by my relative, Antti Ojala (his grandfather was my great-grandfather’s brother—bonus points if you can figure out what that makes us!), and his wife Tuula. They have welcomed me into their home and life for a week. I had arrived by bus from Turku, where I attended the TIP-Fest (another blog post forthcoming). We sat and talked for a bit about my first visit to Finland in 2006, my plans for the project, and how we would collaborate with Tuula’s help translating. Simply put-- I would pick the colors and he would paint.

Our work started the next morning. I showed Antti the figures I had carved of his grandparents, Kustaa and Hanna, and my great-grandparents, Johannes and Maria, carved in the likeness of vaivaisukot, or pauper statues, an image that has influenced much of Antti’s 25 year career. We started by priming and sanding the heads and preparing them to paint. In the afternoon, Antti showed me a folder of reference materials that he had prepared to inspire our work together-- a study, a lithograph, and a block print of the Allanen, the homestead of our mutual relatives. I am quite sure these will inspire the scenic design of the performance. Mostly we talked, and looked, and contemplated in broken English and Finnish.

When I entered the studio the next morning, Antti had pinned up four quick charcoal studies of the heads, so that we could begin planning the colors. Together we decided on skin tone, hair, and eye color. We discussed what was accurate, but also what would look best in terms of contrast. Then we started to paint -- quickly, roughly, imperfectly and mostly in silence. When Tuula joined us for afternoon tea and coffee  she translated, “Antti says it is important to paint imperfectly. It can be messy like they would have been outside of churches.” We ended our work early so I could meet cousins for dinner.

I am just now waking up for our third day together. It is a little before the sun has come up.There will be just less than six hours of light today before the sun disappears again. It is a big day. A filmmaker is coming today to document our work together. Antti is also expecting the delivery of a finished wooden doll he commissioned inspired by a toy  he remembers from his childhood that Kustaa carved.  It is unclear to me what he intends to do with this figure, but has said a few times, “We can cast it in a lighter material for your purposes”. I will see what this means soon. . . This evening Antti will attend a  black tie event to celebrate the 125 anniversary of the Finnish Artist Association. 

Our work has lasted only a few days, but it feels connected to many lifetimes. 

-PC