Niilo Rytkönen, Sculptures around the farm

first two pictures (2003) courtesy of Olli Korhonen,

from his blog, see documentation

Niilo Rytkönen (1928?) lives on a farm, located in the rural area of the small finnish town Suonenjoki. The farm, which has a large stretch of meadowy land around, is situated close to the Kutujoki river in a spot locally known as Jokela.

Mr Rytkönen has become known because of his creation of an extended outsider environment, both by decorating the walls of the barn of the farnhouse and by populating the meadows near the farm with totemlike items, in general making use of natural materials collected in the nearby woods and countryside.

He began this creative activity at a later age, probably when he already was in his fifties. At some moment, when being around outside, he was triggered by the form of natural items like stones or wooden stumps, as he became aware of the anima these items may have and the persona they may represent.

Mr Rytkönen began collecting them and in some cases he would color them with paint, blue, white, or other colours, as in above picture. He had to overcome some hesitation before he decided to exhibit these items  on the wall of the barn, a feeling that had to do with the idea that the neighbours might consider such a decoration somewhat strange.

Maybe some did, but in general his decorative activity was appreciated, and gradually Niilo Rytkönen expanded the exhibition space into the fields near the farm.

Nowadays, the fields are covered with rows of wooden poles, with heads or representations of birds on top, made of painted pieces of (birch) wood, a number of these poles fitted with horizontal branches that suggest arms, all together -because of the continuous repetition- delivering an extraordinary artistic scene.

He also has created life-sized characters, like dolls, dressed with clothes from the fleamarket and drawn up in long rows on the meadows around the farm.

In general mr Rytkönen's creations are meant to cherish visitors and give them a good feeling, and one can come along items that express ironic or humoristic comments upon actual social and political developments in Finland.

picture courtesy of Juda Pääjärvi (Flickr, nov 2008)

Niilo Rytkönen in recent years has been invited to participate in expositions of outsider art, both on a regional and national level.  He also has been portrayed in the Cristoph Schuch movie Self Made Paradise (Germany, 2007, 84')

Although in his eighties, he is still active in taking care of the exposition grounds and the exhibited items.

More documentation and pictures

* Olli Korhonen's post of october 5, 2011, in his weblog relates the story, following an article he first published in 2003 in a local newspaper.
This article, translated into english, has been republished in my collection of outsider environments texts. This publication may have been the first that regionally introduced Niilo Rytkönen as an outsider artist..
(Also take a look at Olli's website with wonderful pictures of birds)

* ITEnet website

* Nykykansantaide website

Niilo Rytkönen

Sculptures around the farm

Jokela, Suonenjoki, FI

can be visited