Bark Smith Raimo Mutanen 10.6.–17.9.2023

Bark is a traditional material that is a byproduct of wood processing, but its potential is often forgotten. In the hands of Raimo Mutanen from Jyväskylä, bark takes on a new dimension and unprecedented scales. 

Mutanen's interest in working with bark was sparked during his retirement in 2013 when he needed to fill his ample free time with something meaningful. 

- I became a 'shipbuilder' because I had never whittled bark boats before, not since I was five years old. I guess out of laziness, I chose a soft and beautiful material that doesn't make you break a sweat when you work with it, Mutanen explains. 

The exhibition "Bark Smith Raimo Mutanen" at the Craft Museum of Finland features various types of bark boats and vehicles, with dimensions ranging from tens of centimeters to nearly half a meter or even larger. Among the boats are also a few funny squirrels and some more unusual applications of bark. Mutanen's way of thinking about the use of bark is represented, for example, by a bark hat and tie. 

- When Finland turned 100 years old, I decided to try making some unique accessories out of bark, even for everyday use. I guess I've always been a 'Stetson man' deep down, even though I've never had the money for such fancy things, so the hat was my first attempt at an accessory.

Mutanen's first bark work is included in the exhibition. The church boat Kaarina is 125 cm long, so the bark artisan did not start with an ordinary bark boat. It took 9-10 kilos of bark to make the boat, which was due to the beginner's limited knowledge of materials and resulting waste. But why start off so grandly?

- Because I had more bragging than brains, I wanted to make the world's largest bark ship right away, even though I hadn't even made a plan for the right way to work, Mutanen laughs. 

- I found the right method, like many other artisans, through trial and error.

The first work took 200 hours to complete, from November 2014 to January 2015. The church boat Kaarina became possibly the longest bark boat in the world. 

- But at that time, the ship was still an unmanned 'wreck,' which bothered me so much that I brought it to life in November-December 2022. I also made some structural changes, such as making the rudder slightly more technical so that the helmsman doesn't get scoliosis on the job. I launch and approve all my boats for use! Mutanen describes. 

Mutanen's first bark work won the bark boat national championship held in Vääksy Canal Park in 2015. Later, the boat was further brought to life with a crew and a ship's dog. 

Bark is a stubborn material. It doesn't bend easily, but snaps at the slightest twist. Making curved parts requires a lot of effort and carving. The tools used also affect the creation of the works. When making the Kaarina boat, the properties of hot glue determined the seam size.

- Five centimeters was the maximum. Longer bonding dried quickly and the glue didn't stick. Even short seams had to be pressed immediately, with a maximum of a couple of seconds. According to my records, there are 500 pieces of maximum five centimeters in the boat.

Mutanen's tools include a sturdy utility knife, an electrician's saw, a surgical steel set, a 7 mm hot glue gun, a square ruler, and a drill bit set.