Timo-Olavi Jalkanen works
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Works by Timo-Olavi Jalkanen have been interpreted in different ways
by professionals.
Here are quotations from their comments on "When time stands still" -exhibition


By knowing the artist's background and motives, I conclude that compensation to stressful hitech life has caused him to create images that reminds to Japanese or Zen-Buddhist silent philosophy and spirituality. At the same time the works are very Nordic and Finnish; like moments from the Finnish national romantic epic, Kalevala.

An ability to absolute focusing -- that obviously was needed in his previous career as a computer systems development engineer -- can also be seen in these works. They often use minimalistic elements. The subject alone is not important, more so the moment, emotion and the surrounding space. When there are no man-made elements in these images, and when they are not seeking “nature photographic” beauty, the viewer must work at very instinctive level when interpreting them. A real-life characterizing story, cause-consequence, what-why-questions, can not be found from these images. Insignificant subjects, independent in their own world, often alone, just take their sublime place in the works. Three dimensional wooden frames, collected from the spots of the images, emphasize window-like impression to the subjects.

  Ulrich Haas-Pursiainen, Curator for Nykyaika and Backlight
   (in the opening words of "When Time Stands Still" -exhibition at Valokuvakeskus Nykyaika, 2001)

In these works the spirit-of-wilderness of North-Pirkkala rises up from its sleep of centuries.

   Tiina Nyrhinen, Art Critic
   (In the article of Aamulehti -newspaper, 2001)
This is a philosophical exhibition. These images are from the places that many of us who are here now know, but now we see those places the way that the artist has seen them. The works are technically somewhere between paintings and photographs. When this collection was taken to the exhibition first time, there was some confusion what is actually the category for it.

   Dr. Lassi Saressalo, Director of Cultural Affairs in the City of Tampere
   (in the opening words of the "When Time Stands Still" -exhibition in Gallery Amanda, 2002)  video clip


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