VIEW 1 – Harri Larjosto: Moving Suites

Harri Larjosto (born 1952) is a Finnish photographer and video artist. In his videos Larjosto combines traditional narrative to the more experimental modes of expression of video art. Works deal with subjects that can be described as the Mysteries of Circulation: environmental problems from a background to a series of psychophysical events characterised by black humour and surprise.

Larjosto lives in Vantaa. He graduated as primary school teacher in the University of Turku in 1976, majoring in visual arts and biology. He is currently (2002-2008) working as a lecturer of digital image, photography and video art at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki. Larjosto has over twenty years of varied artistic work behind him, in which he has explored the image and tested out the limits of different artistic disciplines.

In 2006 Harri Larjosto received the Finland Prize awarded by the Ministry of Education. Finland Prize is awarded in recognition of a significant career in arts.

Read more, article published in the DVD booklet:
Perttu Rastas: Perplexing visual stories
Harri Larjosto in AV-arkki’s online archive

Harri Larjosto: Moving Suites

The following works are included in the VIEW-1 DVD publication:

Apple
1990 | 17:30 min
Apple combines three wordless stories: the development, the change and the surprise to one vision. The video takes the viewer to the deep spring of emotions and recognition with the strength of its illustration and music
Camera: Paul Bruck | Editing: Jukka Kujala | Cast: Teuri Haarla, Tiina Helisten, Vilja Larjosto, Kirsi Monni, Ruusu-Kaisu Oksanen, Liisa Pesonen, Markku Rantala, Senni Vaara | Music: B. Bennet, R. Fenn, Emery & Knowles & Morton, P. Kingsland, E. Satie, A. Schnittke, D. Vorhaus | Shooting/master format: Betacam

Winter Way
1998 | 5:07 min
Winter Way looks for “the absolute point”. It is an attempt to identify one’s self and see through “the wall of nature”.
Cast: Roi Vaara | Music: Ismo Laakso | Shooting format: DV
Master format: Betacam

Fitting
1999 | 7:30 min
Fitting tries to make visible the sensitive meta-action behind our daily activities and show us like in an aquarium. The video shows an ordinary couple going to the clothing department of a warehouse. Their clothes are exactly same as in the stands and little by little they are putting all clothes back to the stands very calmly and leaving the department as adam and eve.
Cast: Henriikka Salo, Hannu Kivioja | Music: Ismo Laakso | Shooting format: DV Master format: Betacam

Water Stories
1999 | 46:00 min
In 1996 Larjosto announced in a Finnish newspaper: “I am making a documentary film. People with deep emotional or professional connections with water are required.” A midwife, a captain of an icebreaker ship, a clairvoyant, a priest and the seductive charms of an erotic young woman named “Aquafeeler”, all contiribute their living testimonies towards complimenting one of the worlds most basic elements of antique philosophy, water.
Camera: Jussi Eerola | Editing: Kimmo Koskela, Harri Larjosto | Cast: Pia Karaspuro, Marko Uolamo | Music: Ismo Laakso | Sound: Pirkko Tiitinen
Production: Koskela Art & Media House, Heikki Ahonius/U-Hybrid-Ring Ltd Oy
Shooting format: 16 mm | Master format: Betacam

Aino
2002 | 8:30 min
Aino is a poetic video about the relations between male, female and water. The images, music and poetry are different levels of the work combining in the slowly moving enigma. The name Aino suggests the namesake female’s fate in Kalevala – the Finnish national epic.
Music: Ismo Laakso | Poem: Marko Uolamo | Shooting format: ? | Master format: ?

Banking hours
2001 | 5:00 min
A Living Painting or Tableau Vivant shot in a real environment: in the room of a stock exchange bank Sofi Secirities Inc. The work reflects Larjosto’s vision of people and the global stock economy.
Camera: Maarit Suomi-Väänänen | Cast: Pirjetta Brander, Mia Havukainen, Jari Hellberg, Merja Larjosto, Lauri Luhta, Pekka Luhta, Pia Mellin, Roi Vaara
Music: Ismo Laakso: “Smell” | Shooting/master format: DV

Things
2001 | 1:30 min
Our daily environment is filled by things. Some of the things are necessary, some not. Things and ownership affect our behaviour, and finally take over and rule us.
Cast: Riitta Linnapuomi, Pekka Linnapuomi | Music: Ilari Larjosto
Shooting/master format: DV

Curating scene
2002 | 4:00 min
Curating Scene is located in entrance stairs of the finnish National Gallery Ateneum. This video performance was made immediately after 9/11 and the anthrax hysteria. Larjosto was wondering about curators’ loyality to artists. He felt there was none, they were only artist-shopping.
Shooting/master format: DV

Saunajazz
2006 | 14:40 min
A poetic vision of a family bathing in the sauna at the summer cottage in Finland. This sauna is mental and green. And it contains nudity.
Cast: Larjosto family | Music: Ilari Larjosto | Shooting/master format: DV

Extra
2007 | 6:40 min

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VIEW 1 – Harri Larjosto: Moving Suites