The Artwork Tells the Story of an Artist"s Escape from a Fire

Kauko Järvinen once painted Hägar the Horrible on the basement gate of Huittisten Seurahuone. “Hägar is planning a second cup of coffee. The text bubble was never added,” Järvinen laughs. Photos: Sari Mäkelä

Antoine Soulaire, original text Sari Mäkelä

When Kauko Järvinen presents his painting of a volcanic eruption at the Huittinen Library, it reveals a scene that isn’t immediately understood at first glance.

–A friend suggested I paint the volcanic eruption that had recently occurred in the Mediterranean region. I didn’t make it small; instead, I added many intricate details, each with its own story, Järvinen explains.

–The Lutheran Church’s financial decline is reflected in Huittinen Church. The story of Israelites returning from Sinai after 40 years. Life in the millennial kingdom, where children and bears play together. Three pyramids, the Ryti statue, the crosses of Golgotha, the Suez Canal, a memorial stone from the site of Huittinen’s first church, and black Olympic rings symbolizing dishonest sports…

–And I even painted my own house up there in space because stations are already being built there. My house is solar-powered. Next to it, I still need to paint a spot for my friend, the bear-spider hybrid I call Karhunkainen, which can move in space using its web, he envisions.

Järvinen also painted the frames, which narrate stories of Finnish construction traditions – hay poles, shingle roofs, log walls, and brickwork.

s_Järvisen näyttely1.JPG — The volcanic eruption painting is surrounded by many other themes with their own stories, but the artist sees connections between them all.

Kauko Järvinen’s imagination is vivid, and his presentation style is engaging and colorful. Some themes are inspired by photos seen in newspapers or advertisements, while others are based on personal experiences.

–This piece, where a man escapes into an apple tree from a burning house, is about me. At the time, I lived in Espoo in an old, protected wooden house under the Finnish Heritage Agency. My home and gallery were there, but the fire destroyed the entire building. I escaped through the gallery window onto the branches of an apple tree. All I had left were the clothes I was wearing: a t-shirt, casual pants, and my glasses.

The work displayed in the exhibition is only a quarter of the original painting, which remained unfinished. After the fire, Järvinen moved to Huittinen and had to divide the painting to fit it into his car.

Some of Järvinen’s other works are also partially incomplete, and he occasionally paints them during the exhibition.

–You can see the artist at work, Järvinen chuckles.

s_järvisen näyttely5_rajattu.jpg — Kauko Järvinen escaped through the window of a burning house into a large apple tree nearby. He captured this dramatic moment in a painting, which he later had to divide to fit into his car.

When asked how he would describe this exhibition, Järvinen ponders briefly before replying:

“It’s a little bit of everything that’s happened over the 75 years of my life. My newest work, The Foxes Return, is dated to this year. In addition to paintings, there are newspaper clippings and even shrouds as a special feature.”

Järvinen began painting in the 1970s. Even as a child in the 1960s, he enjoyed drawing when others were sledding.

“I once applied to an art school in Turku, but the one picture I submitted wasn’t enough to get in. Painting became a hobby. After military service, I spent 15 years in the food industry and later worked in construction. When I moved to Huittinen, I first worked on a roof renovation at Huittisten Seurahuone and then stayed on as the building’s caretaker for four and a half years.”

The exhibition includes two works from that period: a depiction of Hägar the Horrible painted on a basement gate and a puzzle painting of Scrooge McDuck and Mickey Mouse created for a young boy.

s_järvisen näyttely7_rajattu.jpg — A puzzle painting made for a young boy.

Järvinen’s works are characterized by bold and vibrant colors.

–When people grow old, there must be colors so they can see, he jokes.

–I started with oil paints but later switched to water-based paints, which I’m still practicing with. I might return to oils if I can’t get portraits right with water-based paints.

Järvinen has donated and sold some of his works.

–I hope those who own my pieces will bring them here to the Hermanni Hall at the library for display. The walls have space for them, and this way, the exhibition could evolve throughout January, Järvinen suggests.

This is Järvinen’s first exhibition in Huittinen. While living in Espoo, his works were part of the Kuninkaantie Artists’ exhibition.

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