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Finlandia
Holds Reception for
Prominent Finnish Photographer
"Jari Arffman" |
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above - (L) IronwoodInfo
reporter/photographer Arvo Toolanen (R) Jari
Arffman, famous Finnish Photographer |
| Hancock - September 9, 2008
A reception was held this evening for
Finnish Photographer Jari Arffman at the Finlandia
University Gallery, in the Finnish American
Heritage Center. Photography and art
students and other photography enthusiasts
attended the reception and discussed the
photographer's work work with Arffman
himself. |
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| above - Jari Arffman discusses his
techniques with very interested students and
then he brings them to another part of the
gallery (below) to show the young
photographers examples of the techniques
they had just discussed. One student asked
if he did any painting or sketching to which
he replied "No I do photographs
only" |
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The exhibit is made up of three
parts: St. Pragburg (2002), Utopia (2004),
and St. Utopia (2006). The photos on display
in their totality shows the photographers
evolving style. While this writer
enjoys great photography, especially black
and white film photography, I would not want
to translate the under currents of Arffman's
evolution. You should view this great wok
for yourself.
Approximately fifty of Arffman's
photographs were on display at the
gallery. The exhibit began September 6th and
continues through September 11th, so there
is still time for you to treat yourself to
this exceptional photographic exhibit. |
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| IronwoodInfo reporter, Arvo Toolanen
asked asked Arffman how he started in his
life's work. Jari told Arvo, in the 1980's he was
working for a newspaper in northern Finland and there was a
fire. No one available to cover
the fire, so the editor handed Jari a camera
and told him to photograph the firemen...
Thirty years have past and today we
get to benefit from that editor's wise
decision. Arvo asked Arffman about the
origin of his sir name. Jari said that
he had searched his genealogy and found that
his family originally came from the
Netherlands and migrated to Finland.
Arffman was born and raised in Finland.
Jari speaks fliud English, speaks Spanish
and understands Swedish but does not speak
it. He learned Spanish from all the work he
has done in Spain.
Arvo asked Jari about his work here with
the students. He told Arvo that "he was very
impressed with the variety of talent at
Finlandia." He's busy working with the
students when he's here but more like
vacation, as he works very hard back in
Finland. |
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Part of the Gallery at the
Finish American Heritage Center in Hancock |
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To see the the variety of student talent at
Finlandia Read and view photos of the 2008
Finlandia Fusionfest |
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| For more information
and examples of Arffman's work read the
Finlandia press release below. |
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Finlandia to Host Arffman
Exhibit |
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HANCOCK, MI – Finnish artist and
photographer Jari Arffman will visit the Copper
Country and work with Finlandia University
students from September 6 to September 11, 2008.
An exhibit of Arffman’s work is featured at the
Finlandia University Gallery, in the Finnish
American Heritage Center, Hancock, through
September 11.
A closing reception for the artist will take
place at the Finlandia University Gallery
Tuesday, September 9, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The
reception is free and open to the public.
Refreshments will be served. |
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| above -
Jari Arffman photo by Jaana Haunula |
Titled “Counterparts,” the exhibition
consists of sixty traditional black and white
photographs taken during the past seven years of
various locations around the world. The exhibit
contrasts Arffman's small native town in eastern
Finland with metropolitan centers around the
world.
“The exhibit is a type of homecoming,” Arffman
said. “I grew tired of documentary photography
at the end of the 1990s and wanted to lend more
room to the imagination. The exhibit is made up
of three parts: St. Pragburg (2002), Utopia
(2004), and St. Utopia (2006).” |
_600.jpg) |
Photo above - Jari Arffman: Vastinparit -
St. Utopia (2006)
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Arffman uses traditional black-and-white
photography and silver gelatin prints. He says
that he has stayed faithful to his chosen path,
only using digital cameras a few times when
other people have asked him to take a picture
with their camera.
“I have always taken traditional black-and-white
pictures,” he says. “When the digital revolution
was at its height around half a decade ago, I
considered joining it a crime against
black-and-white photography and tradition. I had
accumulated a lot of know-how on black-and-white
pictures which I did not want to throw away. Now
it has become my strength.” |
_600.jpg) |
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photo above - Jari Arffman: Utopia (2004) |
Arffman's work continues the tradition of
street photography, where the artist wanders the
city streets looking for scenes that speak to
him. The artist writes that the photos create a
visual dialogue that transcends conventional
preconceptions about international-ness and
local-ness, and gives prominence to a way of
being not dependent solely on our position on
the globe.
Prior to its exhibition at the Finlandia
University Gallery, Arffman’s Counterparts
exhibition appeared in two locations in Finland.
The Kajaani (Finland) Art Museum has published a
book on the exhibition titled, “Jari Arffman:
Counterparts – Vastinparit” (with both Finnish
and English text). |
_600.jpg) |
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Vastinparit - St. Pragburg (2002) |
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BusinessART - Purso Oy (2007) |
Following its stop in Hancock, Counterparts
will travel to the Nordic Heritage Museum,
Seattle. In 2009 the exhibit will travel to the
Sami Artist Center in Karasjok, Norway, and to
Budapest, Hungary.
Artist Jari Arffman's career extends over twenty
years. In the early 1990s he returned to live in
Tampere, Finland, where he studied international
relations at the University of Tampere and
received a masters degree in social sciences. As
a university student, Arffman also worked as a
photojournalist and a writer. |
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photo above - BusinessART - Avant Tecno Oy
(2006) |
Arffman’s photographs have been widely
exhibited throughout Finland and Europe. His
work is held in numerous collections including
the Art Collections of the State of Finland, the
Tampere Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
Finland, and the Art Collection of San Bartolome
de Tirajana in Spain. Arffman also runs
BusinessART, a company that creates corporate
images through photography. Arffman’s work has
been featured in approximately 70 solo
exhibitions, about 15 of them outside of
Finland.
The “Counterparts” exhibit is made possible by
grants from the Finlandia Foundation, Finn
Spark, Inc., FRAME - Finnish Fund for Art
Exchange, Sami Artist Center, and the Arts
Council of Pirkanmaa.
The Finlandia University Gallery is in the
Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy
Street, Hancock. Gallery hours are Monday to
Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, 8:00
a.m. to 7:00 p.m., or by appointment. Please
call 906-487-7500 for more information.
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