Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen - 'You Always Reveal Yourself in the Pictures' | TateShots

Finnish photographer Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen moved to Newcastle in 1969 after attending art college in London she has stayed there ever since working and photographing the city and its people.
Konttinen works both as a photographer and a filmmaker. Her series Byker 1969-81 documents the streets, buildings and primarily the inhabitants of Byker, a working class community in the east side of Newcastle upon Tyne. The Byker series includes a range of portraits, from traditional studio-style images to photographs of groups gathered in moments of leisure.
Until the 1960s it was a working class area of densely built Victorian terrace and slum housing, after which it was redeveloped by the local council, who had condemned the houses as unfit for human habitation. Demolition began in 1966 and the council appointed the architect Ralph Erskine to design its replacement: the now Grade II listed Byker Wall estate, which was constructed between 1969 and 1982. In 1969 Konttinen moved to Byker, where she lived for six years until her house was demolished. She returned over the next decade to continue to document life in the community.
Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen in the Tate collection: goo.gl/OwJi2p
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[@debbieann410]

BBC Archive brought me here!! Great to know her 😊

[@fionabradman3519]

Thankyou. My mother was born in Byker in 1931 and grew up there. Your photos that we find on the Internet trigger wonderful memories and conversations with her.

[@GavinMorris1]

I was just watching her in 1974. What a wonderful artist.

[@Hassan_Omer]

Wow beautiful work. Just saw one of her videos from the BBC channel on Facebook and came here to see her. She's awesome.

[@thankcrunchiefriday]

Snap! I grew up in Newcastle and am ashamed to say I've never heard of the Amber Collective. But I'm so glad I have - she clearly loved, and loves, the city

[@michaelantonyaustin]

Yes, that's why I'm here too! Fascinating lady, story and photos.

[@balham456]

Also

[@jacquelinec.6785]

BBC Archive clip and link on FB brought me here • Fascinating • Intriguing • Great Work 📸

[@sebast1an56]

I discovered the work of Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen whilst studying photography at Cleveland College of Art. I was totally and utterly smitten by her work. I went to the Side gallery a few times with the hope of meeting her, alas it didn't happen. Many years on her work in Byker still haunts me and brings back emotional memories of my childhood being brought up in one of the poorer areas of the north east. I swear the image of the girl putting her makeup on in the window was taken in my family's backyard ( I can even recognise where the pointing on the wall, has been done with polyfilla - my father was pretty useless at DIY). Having watched this short video makes me regret even more not meeting this wonderful photographer

[@englishmanincologne]

Don’t regret. One day it’ll be too late, but not yet. Reach out while you can! I’m sure there’s a way to contact her.

[@franciscocorpas]

What a wonderful work of art over the years! Kiitos! Great lady

[@user-ny6so8wb9u]

Bless you Sirkka-Liisa for keeping alive the spirit of the old Byker and the people that made it such a wonderful place, despite all the hardships they had to endure....

[@willowbrooke1215]

I only saw her original BBC video from the 1970s the other day! Now here she is all these years later

[@markpashby7220]

Beautiful work from a beautiful woman

[@panchopuskas1]

Bless you for letting us see a glimpse of the old Byker before it was torn down and replaced by God knows what. Even the street plans have been destroyed and all we have now are old maps, stories and photos by people like yourself.......

[@robertbosson5223]

Only just discovered her work and brilliant to see her still practicing the craft all the way through to the print. Byker is a priceless record of yet another English working class culture lost to time and I have ordered a copy with great anticipation

[@johanvanhuyssteen9217]

This was so lovely. Thanks for sharing your story Sirkka-Liisa. Thanks for producing, to the film production team.

[@jayveebloggs9057]

The Byker book is iconic, incredible... thanks Sirkka for this...

[@sbor2020]

Wonderful story, beautiful photos, and Sirkka-Liisa is so adorably cool.

[@lacleman9394]

I grew up in Newcastle and remember Byker as depicted in these photos. Amazing to see art brought out of what had become a desperately neglected neighbourhood.

[@jamesmcelderry7033]

Beautiful work capturing the essence of the North East

[@janipihlaja7884]

Amazing photos!

[@AnthonyPatterson-qp7bx]

Love your work!!!!!

[@johnkelly-pd3vq]

Super work

[@aloeaftersun220]

truly wonderful

[@quokkapirquish6825]

Wowza! What a life project. So committed and talented. Wonderful, wonderful

[@hansbarbarossa4613]

Thank you very much

[@sarahmccarthy2782]

Very good video

[@brianorakpohit]

I now must buy the original Byker book.

[@sicks6six]

I have to say the space hopper photo @ 4:16 got me for a while, I'm guessing 1970 as I had one that year,

[@markielinhart]

Love your work lady. Quite ironic that the original Lightroom was the darkroom, dodging and burning and all that magic…✌️

[@michaelstavri5943]

Amazing historical prospective looking at these images now... I wonder though how she made a living from these type of photos in those days ?

[@kopynd1]

when you look back in history not so long ago, and people from the last 20yrs complain about there live style they never been so well off, I was working on the byker wall in 74, stanley miller construction beautiful homes, lets hope they stay that way

[@juliag.1231]

what great photos! Does anyone know which camera she is using?

[@puppetyr]

I can't find any concrete info on this, but the aspect ratios of the prints suggest a mixture of 35mm and medium format. Certainly at two points in the video she is clearly handling what look like 6x7 medium format negatives, which at that time (late 60s/early 70s) would suggest the use of a Pentax 6x7, or possibly a Mamiya RB67. I agree that the photos are brilliant.

[@brianorakpohit]

@@puppetyr Ive seen a recent picture of Sirkka holding a Pentax 67II. Whether she was using the original P6x7 back then Im not sure.

[@terokoistinen]

@@brianorakpohit This BBC archive footage shows that she was using Nikon. facebook.com/watch/?v=1522608731228492

[@irnbru70]

According to what we see on film, it's a Nikon F.

[@juliag.1231]

@@irnbru70 Thank You!!!

[@gavinthorburn5385]

She must be horrified by the place now

[@raybeaumont7670]

Nice to see a real photographer - one who prints their own work.

[@alanlittle3941]

Howay the Lads and lasses

[@quokkapirquish6825]

Wowza! What a life project. So committed and talented. Wonderful, wonderful