Exhibitions in other galleries

Thomas Humery Young and Nordic
Valo Gallery, University of Lapland, Faculty of Art and Design

20.2. 2006 - 9.3. 2006

Thomas Humery’s exhibition Young and Nordic includes photographs from series Great Expectations and The Summer which was produced during what Humery calls his Finnish year. Great Expectations is the result of Humery’s residence period in Finland-France residence program in Kotka 2005. Finland-France residence program is a co-operation program between Pohjoinen valokuvakeskus, Valokuvakeskus Peri, Suomen Pariin suurlähetystö and Ranskan kulttuurikeskus, Pole Image Haute de Normadie and Piece of Cake.

Humery’s series is about young people living in a small town during the long Finnish winter… “I kept this geographical, meteorological and social situation into consideration when shooting these images. There is a specific turning point in life when childhood seems to leave. In this turning point in life people don’t yet feel that they are adult – there are in between, living teenagers life. These young people are studying at school, public libraries, and the music conservatory – they are in process… About the future they do not know and there is no way back to the previous life of childhood.”

Humery has staged portraits in a still situation, in a silent and un-dynamic position to impress feeling of loneliness, uncertainty regarding the wide life span which is open for them. The artistic background is related to the old 17th century portrait painters but also to some contemporary teenage sources as Gus Van Sant or Brian Wilson. He has also produced some metaphorical and symbolic landscapes beside the portraits to represent the mind stage of teenagers.

The Summer was produced in summer 2005 when Humery returned to Finland. The series is inspired by the Romanticisms and the importance of nature. The trees, sun, the small forest paths are like real characters surrounding young people. It gives a vivid counterpart to the images in Great Expectations. The Summer symbolizes changing times in life.
Näyttelyn järjestämistä on tukenut centre culturel francais.

Yhteydet: Pohjoinen valokuvakeskus, Alla Räisänen, toiminnanjohtaja, puh.08-311 0611, 040-7272135, e-mail: alla.raisanen @ pohjoinenvalokuvakeskus.fi.