Triggered: Aino Kannisto
Untitled (Bathtub) © Aino Kannisto
Untitled (Bathtub)
I made this self-portrait for the first time in 1995. It was a black-and-white image shot on film that I developed myself in a tiny kitchen turned into a darkroom. I was living in an old commercial space that was not intended for residential use. The benefit of the place was its high rooms with big windows allowing natural light to flood in, along with the cheap rent. We had a big, old iron bathtub, a vintage sofa and a worn-out mattress, not much else in terms of furniture when moving there. The natural light in the room and the bathtub made the image possible. The photograph was part of my entrance exam portfolio for art school. I was dreaming of becoming an artist.
Twenty years later, I re-shot the image in color. I was staying in a wonderful place by a lake in a tiny Finnish city with a big art museum. I was participating in a group exhibition, and the Serlachius Art Museum had kindly hosted our stay in that quaint hotel. There were the most beautiful bathrooms with big old bathtubs and windows opening to the garden surrounding the house. I knew right away that I had gotten my second chance with that Ophelia image. The woman in the photograph is 20 years older. She is tentatively dreaming big, again … on becoming a mother this time.
To view more of Aino’s works, visit here
