Eeli Aalto
Eeli Alvar Aalto | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 6, 1931 Vyborg, Finland (now Russia) |
| Occupation(s) | Visual artist, television director |
| Years active | 1960s–1990s |
| Known for | Painting, television documentaries, art education |
Eeli Alvar Aalto (born 6 February 1931 in Vyborg, Finland—now part of Russia) is a Finnish visual artist and television director.
Youth
Amid the Winter War, Aalto and his family moved to the Pohjois-Pohjanmaa area, initially settling in Liminka before relocating to Oulu. His introduction to art came at the age of ten through the works of Liminka painter Vilho Lampi.
Painting and visual arts
Aalto pursued his artistic education at the Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki and subsequently at the André Lhote academy in Paris, France.
He participated in creating frescoes alongside Lennart Segerstråle for the Rovaniemi Church and produced numerous landscape and urban scenes. During the 1960s, he ventured into abstract art. A significant work includes a triptych relief titled "In the beginning there was the word..." completed in 1969 for the exterior of Alava Church in Kuopio. In Oulu, he played a key role in establishing cultural venues such as Oulu University and the Oulu Museum of Art. Between 1962 and 1979, he served as an instructor in plastic composition within Oulu University's architecture faculty.
From 1993 to 1998, Aalto developed "Sata kuvaa Oulusta" ("One hundred pictures of Oulu"), a collection that expressed his enduring bond with the city that became his refuge. Employing realistic representation, he emphasized the continuing significance of figurative art, aligning with Giorgio Morandi’s assertion that "nothing is as abstract as reality."
Television documentaries
In addition to his painting and sculptural work, Aalto produced a substantial number of television documentaries for Yleisradio, including Synti suuri surkia (1980), which focused on star singers. His 1977 film Piina, centered on artist Alpo Jaakola, earned the prestigious Jussi Award for best television film.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Aalto revisited his birthplace Vyborg in 1991, describing the encounter as both surreal and estranging. This experience inspired his documentary Wiipurini (1992), alongside an online publication of writings and photographs titled Viipurinmatka, featured within his "100 kuvaa Oulusta" series.
Television essayist
According to Jukka Lindfors, Aalto’s films function as intimate television essays combining elements of poetry, nostalgia, wit, and satire. His documentaries often delve into stories about marginalized, inventive individuals with a sensitivity evident in his approach to filming and editing. Frequently, Aalto inserts himself into his productions, occasionally assuming fictional roles.
Literature and other contributions
Aalto authored two monographs on artists: one dedicated to Vilho Lampi (1969) and another focused on Reidar Särestöniemi (1976). Between 1983 and 1988, he wrote approximately four hundred illustrated columns entitled "Pienet filosofiat" for the newspaper Kaleva.
His autobiography Kuviensa takana was released in 2016, followed by English (2018) and Russian editions; the latter features commentary by Anastasia Martynova.
Aalto was present during the contentious 1987 performance by Jumalan teatteri in Oulu, where actors threw bodily fluids at spectators. As the only audience member to watch the entire event and document it photographically, his images were later used as evidence during legal proceedings. In 2009, he made these rare photographs publicly accessible online for the first time.
Private life
Eeli Aalto resides in Kempele. His son, Simo Aalto, has established a career as a professional magician. Among his grandchildren, Saara and Suvi Aalto have pursued singing, while Sari Aalto is known for her work as a ventriloquist.
Awards and recognition
In 1994, Aalto was granted an artist's pension. Later, in 2012, he received the Kultainen kaulin ("Golden rolling pin") award, recognizing his cultural contributions to the city of Oulu.
Bibliography
- Aalto, Eeli: Vilho lampi - Lakeuden maalari, Karisto 1969.
- Aalto, Eeli: Reidar Särestöniemi, WSOY 1976. .
- Aalto, Eeli: Kuviensa takana, Books on Demand 2016. .
- Aalto, Eeli: Behind his Pictures, Books on Demand 2018. (English).
- Aalto, Eeli: Za yego kartinami, Books on Demand 2019. (Russian).
Television programs
- 1966: Vilho Lampi – Lakeuden maalari; Kaupunki
- 1967: Viimeinen tuomio; Eräs Im Memoriam; Haikara lensi ohi; Hiljaisen miehen maailma
- 1968: Kuin kamee; Taulu; Lastentaidetta
- 1969: Hei hei, tämä on totta; 36 000 päivää Oulussa; Elukka
- 1970: Röijy
- 1971: Hailuoto, hyvän haltijan saari; Myrrysmies; Kain tapper; Unelma paremmasta elämästä; C-G Lilius
- 1972: Euroopan mestari; Afrikkalainen keskustelu
- 1973: Reidarin värilliset aistimukse; Taakkasi on minun
- 1974: Tyttökauppias
- 1975: Maalaismaisema; Iso pieni tyttö, Anu Pentik
- 1977: Kauko Rantalan mustavalkea maailma; Reima Pietilä; Piina
- 1978: Anna-Leenan jouluaatto; Tuhlaajapojan paluu
- 1979: Aurinkogalleria
- 1980: Kerro kerro kuvasti – 6 osaa kuvataiteesta; Synti suuri surkia
- 1981: Erämaakoira; Paluu Ithakaan; Merkillinen matkakertomus
- 1982: Häät Kempeleen kirkossa; Mielipiteitä taidekasvatuksesta
- 1983: Kissa vieköön; Dostojevskin galleria; Lentäjä Non Grata
- 1984: Rakentamisen draama; Kirstinän runot heräävät; Oulu -10
- 1985: Muistojeni albumi; Budapest-Rock; Mauno Haartman; Juhani Pallasmaa; Keijo Petäjä
- 1986: Vuosisadan talvi; Oulun koulu; Yksin; Elämän äänet; Jouni Kesti; Oulun horisontista; Satu Huttunen – Vuoden nainen; Kesäyön oikkuja
- 1987: Kirkkokatu 50; Punaiset kengät Sodankylässä; Tuhlaajapojan päiväkirja; Kirje maailman katolta; Paskajuttu
- 1988: Kadonnutta tietoa etsimässä; Taiteen tähden – Veijo Hukka; Itsemurhat; Jorma Uotinen; Erotiikkaa etsimässä; Huippukokous mummolassa; Valmentajan muotokuva; Picasso Tukholmassa; Giorgio Morandi; Matti satujen talossa
- 1989: Tekstiilin intiimi kosketus; Edvard Much; Simosalabim (5 parts); Passikuva (4 parts); Tapaaminen Oulussa, Paavo Rintala; Uusikatu
- 1992: Helene Schjerfbeck Ateneumissa; Alberto Giacometti; Wiipurini; Tuhlaajapoika ja Sokrates
- 1992–1994: Jokeri pokeri box (32 parts)
References