KARI HUHTAMO 70
11.1.2013
Kari Huhtamo Art Foundation congratulates Kari Huhtamo
on his 70th birthday and wishes him many creative years.
Dear friends!
Kari Huhtamo 70 years - this is it. Kari’s production
has been extensive and complex from the early 1960's onwards. He has dealt
with wood, clay, bronze and steel and made wall hangings, graphic art and
realistic portraits. Kari’s recent works show no sign of hesitation – a
trait typical to many aging artists. On the contrary, his amazingly accurate,
dazzlingly bright and immaterially lyrical works float effortlessly in the
ambient space. Although Kari’s sculptures are honed mirror bright and made
out of acid-proof stainless steel, they are tinted with human poetry, youthful
humor and playful surrealism. Even though in these works a sense of connection
with nature could be seen to carry national romantic overtones, Kari works
unconditionally on the international and global level. His art is free from
the pathetic and national sectarianism plaguing sculpture.
Kari's
sculptures seem to magically avert gravity. This phenomenon creates an airy
appearance, highlighted by glistening light reflections and shadows on the
surface of the works, the constantly changing and immaterial patina. These
works literally represent the victory of mind over matter. He has cut out
countless amounts of paper sketches and taken the time to utilize the new
information technology in the creative phase. In this way virtual images
and animations anticipate the finished work. Despite their abstract nature
Kari’s sculptures associate with natural complex structures: the rhythm
of continuous movement or changes in tempo in music. In them we can see
images of dancing, or even fluid and whimsical rhythms of skating. Kari’s
vitality, which produces pleasure to the creator, is easily conveyed to
the public. The sensual positivity comes close to the viewer, observer –
the mark of life.
In the futuristic film "Metropolis" (1927), well-known
German director Fritz Lang shows robots working in the way of production
machinery, which is driven by intelligent brains and mechanical hands. But
the machine is destroyed when there’s a heart missing between these factors.
Looking at Kari’s art, we can say that the brain and the vitality of skilled
hands are maintained primarily by the warm pulse of his heart.
In
this connection, I would also like to congratulate Kari’s invaluable background
forces: his spouse Tutteli, as well as daughters Taina and Eili and their
families.
I suggest a toast for Kari!
Jorma Hautala 11/01/2013
