On Focus – Aki Loponen's Theatre Photographs

The exhibition consists of photographic prints and a digital collage of Loponen's theatre photographs from performances in different parts of Finland. Loponen has made a selection of photographs, originally taken for theatrical advertising and marketing purposes, that best represents him as a theatre photographer.

"The images are chosen on visual grounds to reflect the feeling and idea the performance conveyed to me at the time of the shooting. Are they the same ones that the audience experiences when watching a performance, or are they more limited, something where the interaction of the actor(s) is only seen through the lens of the camera? A look, a momentary meeting of eyes, a wave of the hand, or whatever meaningful thing the audience might miss is captured in the photograph.

For me, a photo shoot is a privileged moment in which the entire theatrical performance is served up before the eyes of the photographer alone. Whether I'm in the auditorium or on stage, I have to be unobtrusive and be able to capture the exact moment that encapsulates everything that is essential. Just as the light shows the main events on stage, the light also guides my own work to find the essence of the play, to be on focus."