Jouko Lehtola
Jouko Lehtola (born in Helsinki 1963) trained as a photographer at the University of Industrial Art and has worked as a press photographer. During his education Lehtola contributed to several solo and group exhibitions as well as biennials of audiovisual art. In 1995 he began his inquiry into the lifestyles of young Finns in the series Young Heroes. He has subsequently exhibited in several European venues and is also represented in several museums in Europe. Lehtola lives and works in Helsinki.
Lehtola works in an ethnographic and sociological tradition, conducting 'field work' among his subjects with his camera over a period of time. This ensures the confidence and intimacy that he finds necessary for the insistent pictures. Lehtola emphasises the importance to his job of human contact but also of the correct equipment. It needs to work in the sparsely lit interiors and exteriors where his main characters move about. The youth that he captures in the form of bands, festivals and clubs reflects his interest in the 'honest photograph' and a distinct documentary style.
Several of Lehtola's other photo series have more restraint and sense of arrangement. Here we are not at the crucial moment of action; instead the photographs function as proof of particular experiences and a specific life. Common to Lehtola's pictures is his interest in the people he photographs. In Finland he is also well known for his sharp portraits of the Finnish rock bands amidst other celebrity.
