"Born of Nature" the story

“Born of Nature” is a collaboration between NYC artist David Popa and Finnish photographer Juuso Hämäläinen.  Nature has been the central theme in Juuso’s work from nearly the inception of his photography career. As one of the leading nature photographers, David noticed his work on social media and became one of his many admirers. It was during this time in late 2017 that Popa’s work began to shift to installations and site-specific works in nature.

One day he figured why not reach out to Juuso and see if there would be any interest in collaborating. Much to Popa’s surprise, Juuso was willing to partner and see what would come of collaborating with someone of a different discipline. In early 2018 they collaborated to create a piece titled “Facing the Universe” in which a woman is depicted frozen in stone under the starry night in Emäsalo, Finland.

It was a realization that this kind of collaboration was not only possible but could lead to great and unique results. It was only natural that they would collaborate the following year on a far grander scale. This time the final project would result not only in a photo to be viewed on social media, but a short film with an original track created by Juuso’s newfound love of composing along with videography by Popa and finally a limited edition print of the final product.

The project developed through a very organic process. Rather than having any preconceived idea of what would be created, the concept developed by working off of each others creative decisions. They first scouted for a location to paint, and shortly after Juuso created a soundscape and melody based on the day. In the final track you can hear some sounds of nature in the background that were actually recorded in this area during the project.

After listening to the soundtrack and analyzing the compositions of various drone photos taken, Popa began to make mockups of what image could be painted. By going back and forth in this manner the theme “Born of Nature” arose as the concept and the image of a newborn child sleeping within the womb of the earth started to take shape.  The concept is precisely the themes both Popa and Juuso have worked with in the past. They beckon the viewer to marvel at life and even question what could have brought about such a mysterious world to which we are born into and how quickly we depart from it. It is for this reason David has been working with biodegradable, all natural, washable earth pigments only mixed with water. By using this medium, it allows for the creation of massive murals that will naturally deteriorate. Small decisions, like using the pigment “Bone Black” continue to emphasis the theme of the transience of life. This all natural pigment originates from actual bones. What was once life and has now departed, is brought to life once more before returning back to the earth completely. 

The obvious difficulty with working in this manner are the quickly changing weather patterns. Rain, as well as freezing temperatures would not allow for the piece to be created. Rain would wash a majority of the pigment away, while freezing temperatures would not allow for the use of the air pressured sprayers Popa uses to create soft, large gradients for this specific kinds of portrait of a newborn child. After many weeks of constant rain in Southern Finland, a small opening appeared. It looked like only 4 days would allow for plus degrees, along with no rain. Juuso and Popa jumped to the occasion, knowing this window of opportunity was very small.

What could have never been predicted however, was the same day the project began, Popa caught the flu. Knowing this may be the only opportunity to press on for the rest of the year until the following spring, Popa decided to paint amidst the illness. With a significant amount of adrenaline, the piece was completed and photographed before the oncoming freezing temperatures and snow the following days to come. While Popa painted during the week, Juuso documented the process via photo and video, which was later used in the “Born of Nature” short film.

Popa was well covered while painting and battling the flu.

The final piece of the puzzle was to capture the work of art from an aerial perspective. In order to capture the highest amount of detail for the final image, Juuso stitched 6 photos from the DJI Mavic Air Drone and pulled from the best images to capture the crashing waves. It is truly stunning the level of detail within the final print. He chose a muted color palette with the golden grass as the most vibrant tone, complimenting the cold blue stone to which the portrait is painted on. We find the oncoming winter captured in the slight frosty vignette of the piece with even a few snowflakes evident.

Some of the most pleasant surprises while analyzing the image closely should be left for the viewer to discover. However, some notable features are the manner in which the cracks correlate with certain features. A primary area this is used is the crevice running up the center of the lips. If we look closely, we also find letters scattered around the area where Popa painted the portrait. These letters are used as a strategy for Popa when trying to nail the proportion of the face. What we find though are some letters clearly recognizable, and others in a seemingly archaic, primitive language that could have been used by cave painters thousands of years ago.

In order to capture the realism of the child, Popa used references of his daughter newly born, only a few hours old. The image is by no means intended to represent his daughter, rather Popa hopes the viewer could identify with the child, and reflect on what a fantastic phenomenon it is that we currently exist and have our being in this universe.

Although the mood of the piece is evident in the final photograph of Juuso, his original track made for the piece titled “Iceberg” gives another layer to the emotional tone intended for the work. Moreover, this track is the guiding force behind the short film “Born of Nature”. The intention behind this is done in order to reference many ancient creation stories, where the “song” or “word” is the spark of life. Quite literally we find this spark, as Juuso is seen crafting the melody amidst the open fire, while Popa uses the earth and dirt to begin the process of creation. All the while we have the raging water lapping against the edge of the stone, used to symbolize the membrane within the “womb” of this new creation. We clearly witness all of the elements present and at work within the short film. The concept of having the short film present is crucial for a very practical reason as well, and that is to show the expanse and scale of the project. The final clip of Juuso playing the keyboard on top of the piece shows just how large and dimensional the final work is, which allows a much fuller appreciation for those who will end up owning one of the Limited Edition Prints produced for the project. 

The limited edition print release is the last and final crucial aspect to the project. Although the physical painting will be gone completely, the physical record of the work of art through the means of a high quality Giclee print is important for the work to continue to speak to its viewers. It is also a great deal more powerful and beautiful when witnessing the staggering level of detail in the print.

Printed with archival pigment inks on 230 gsm archival matte paper, Juuso and Popa could not stop looking at the final result when running the artist proof edition. In a world where so much of images are merely consumed through an electronic screen, having a physical item that can be observed and held is a breath of fresh air for the creator and those that appreciate the amount of thoughtfulness that went into the “Born of Nature” project.

Thank you so much for your interest in this project and feel free to send a message with any questions or comments you may have!

Sincerely,