The Blue Painter
A short film featuring artist Risto Suomi
Risto Suomi, also known as 'The Blue Painter', is a Finnish artist who is known for his vibrant and contemporary depictions of the Kalevala myths and symbolism. His paintings evoke a sense of nostalgia for the past that blurs the line between reality and fantasy.
Plot summary: While walking around Paris, Suomi's reality and the world of his paintings combine to create a painting in motion. It conveys a dream he once had on which a majority of his paintings are based.
This three-minute film is an artistic interpretation of Suomi's work that blends video with 2D animation. It was designed to be showcased alongside Risto Suomi's paintings, and was first displayed at the Galleria Heino in Helsinki, Finland in April 2017. It has also been featured separately at Film and Animation Festivals throughout Europe.
The film was included in the 'Blue Thoughts' exhibition at the Korundi Rovaniemi Art Museum during the summer of 2020 (2.6.-18.10.2020), where it was exhibited alongside other pieces from the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Collection.
Credits
Directed and Animated by Marga Doek
Cinematography by Joni Juutilainen
Sound Design by Toni Teivaala
Assistant Animation by Tanja Beltman
Collection
Saastamoinen Foundation
Jenny and Antti Wihuri Art Collection
Heino Collection
More about this series:
Paintings in Motion
"The film ‘The Blue Painter’, captures a significant moment of a lingering dream I once had. I dreamed that I was in a barrel, paddling into Paris on the river Seine. Many of my paintings are based on that dream, and they have an overall theme of myth, memory and longing for the past. Every shot of this film can be traced back to various paintings within my repertoire. It is quite surreal to see these paintings come to life and to see myself interact with them".
- Risto Suomi
