THIS IS HARRI ENGLISH

Harri Nordling's Life as an Artist

If you ever believed in the illusion of a romantic, bohemian lifestyle as the way an artist lives, it's best to look deeper at what an artist today must do to secure their everyday life. Creating is only the beginning of everything else that must be considered. Harri Nordling, a Finnish artist, moves naturally in both the artistic and business worlds. He is primarily a designer, a visual artist, and a painter, but he will get his hands into any material from which he believes he can create something: metal installations, fabric design, etc. He has even appeared on the radio as a talk show host. Harri is a person who does not want to focus on just one field. This energetic, Blues Brothers-type man behind black-rimmed glasses reveals the hidden everyday life of an artist.

Harri does not find it natural for himself to fill out artist grant applications; he calls it a frustrating waste of time and does not see grants as worthwhile in the long run. Instead, he believes that artists must also face the demands of the times to avoid being left behind or, at worst, falling off the train altogether.

The spirit of the times includes an ever-increasing demand for personal responsibility and coping in life, and this also applies to the art world. Expectations change and become tougher, and the artist must balance both creative work and visibility. While living abroad for several years, Harri actively immersed himself in marketing, the advertising world, and similar fields. He came up with a brilliant way to combine business with artistic creation. During creative periods, and to make them possible, Harri organizes art courses, solo exhibitions for companies, and open studio evenings. "The era of art patrons is truly long gone! If I want my art to be seen, I have to do it myself. And that requires doing business, marketing, as well as interaction skills, communication, customer service, etc. Sometimes, in the midst of all this, it's hard to find time for making art itself!" This is something the art audience may not necessarily think about.

How does planning marketing then affect artistic integrity? If the artist has to secure sales contracts or make art to meet the audience's preferences, can the artist still maintain their own style in their works?

Harri believes that when an artist reaches a certain status in the art community, it also affects the appreciation of their art in a different way. Then, works may be accepted more openly, and criticism is not necessarily as harsh as it is for a lesser-known artist. When an artist begins to gain fame, even their earlier works start to be seen from a new perspective. The audience, which was previously critical of the artist, becomes more uncertain about their own ability as critics.