Light Space Time – Jalo Porkkala and Susanna Haltsonen
Theater Photography Over 30 Years
Jalo Porkkala is a photographer from Noormarkku, whose theater photography for the Pori Theater began in 1979. In addition to this, he has worked as a press photographer, freelancer, and teacher.
FM Susanna Haltsonen is a teacher from Pori and a doctoral candidate at the Department of Arts Studies at the University of Turku, currently working on a dissertation titled Illusion Revealed: Kari Haklin and Jalo Porkkala’s Theater Photographs as Representations of Performance.
The field of theater photography has changed considerably over the past 30 years. When Porkkala began his career, there was a certain slowness and reverence associated with both the subject and the act of photography, and the development of black-and-white films and hand-printing took its time. Today, in the era of fast and easy digital technology, the field is characterized by hectic schedules and stress. Theater photography itself is often lost in the overwhelming media flood, and many are no longer capable or interested in reading photographs and the meanings they contain.
When we began thinking about the 30-year journey of theater photography at the Pori Theater, our goal from the outset was to find new ways to engage with theater photographs. We have aimed to create a comprehensive exhibition experience where image, text, and sound work together.
With theater photographs, texts that analyze the images, and a “theatrical” audio backdrop, we aim to offer the viewer the chance to experience and recall a theater performance they have seen, or to spark general interest in theater and performing arts. The sound design for the exhibition has been created by Vesa Haltsonen, an actor at Pori Theater. Our team also hopes to spark discussions about theater photography and its meanings. We find it both challenging and fascinating to present what is often perceived as promotional or actor role photography in the intimate atmosphere of an art gallery!
This text was created with AI assistance