PAINTINGS 1957-1987 – JUHANI TARNA

PRESS RELEASE

The painter Juhani Tarna has been a significant contributor to the development of Satakunta art since the early 1960s. After completing his studies in 1960 at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and simultaneously at the Free Art School in Helsinki, Tarna returned to work in his hometown of Kankaanpää. He became actively involved with the Kankaanpää Art School, established in 1965, initially as a teacher and later serving as the school’s principal from 1973 to 1980. Additionally, Juhani Tarna worked as the Regional Artist for the Province of Turku and Pori from 1973 to 1976.

Juhani Tarna’s exhibition is part of a series organized by the Pori Art Museum to showcase artists from the Satakunta region. Since the early 1980s, the museum, in its role as a regional art institution, has documented the work of artists within its area of operation. Alongside contemporary documentation, the museum also retrospectively examines the careers of individual artists or artist groups. This initiative includes cataloging significant art collections owned by communities and private individuals. The ultimate goal is to establish comprehensive databases related to Satakunta art.

The documentation of Juhani Tarna’s oeuvre began in late 1985 in collaboration with the artist. To date, the work encompasses nearly 900 pieces, a central selection of which is included in the exhibition’s catalog. Additionally, the artist’s press clippings archive has been microfilmed. Alongside visual materials, the museum has also preserved audio recordings of interviews conducted with the artist.

Publications:
ISBN 951-9355-19-7 Juhani Tarna MAALAUKSIA 1957-1987
Pori Art Museum 25.3.-20.4.1988
Photographs: Antti J. Lind, Esko Nummelin, Yrjö Räikkälä, artists’ and
Kankaanpää Art School’s collections
Article: Maila-Katriina Tuominen
Editing: Esko Nummelin
Lay-out: Esko Nummelin
100PRINT, Satakunnan Kirjateollisuus, Pori 1988

Translated with ChatGPT