MEDICINE AND ART Medicine and art

The doctor’s waiting room 1152 – 3

Kåre Kivijärvi (1938 – 91) has been called Norway’s first photographic artist and became a legend in his own lifetime. One of his most powerful works is a picture taken in the waiting room of the Porsanger district medical officer.

Erlend Hem The photograph interpret the character of the doctor as [email protected] The picture of the Porsanger district med- expressing the same amount of tension and ical officer is in many ways a classic press unease as does Høydalsnes, although Kivi- photo, but has some additional qualities and järvi’s photos in general have been described references that set it apart (5). In it, we can as concrete, yet open-ended narratives that Kivijärvi took this photograph on a reporting see the district medical officer as an autho- invite numerous interpretations. This open- mission in April 1970. It was published in rity figure in the local community, a man ness in his works may be related to the the Finnmark Dagblad daily newspaper the who may make the difference between life respect that he shows for his motifs (7). following month (1). The picture centres on and death. Moreover, the picture can hardly The photograph is known under a variety the doctor Arne Clemens (1910 – 1985), who be said to be a neutral representation of this of titles: Porsanger community care centre, at the time was concluding his long-standing commanding man (5). April 1970; The district medical officer, work in this municipality. The art historian Eli Høydalsnes (1960 – Porsanger 1970 and The doctor’s waiting Arne Clemens’ medical career can be 2003) sees the photograph as referencing room (7). divided into three phases. After gaining his latent culturally-based conflicts in a region medical degree in 1941, he went through where Kven, Sámi and Norwegian commu- The photographer a number of brief employment periods nities live in a tightly knit coexistence (6): Kåre Kivijärvi was born in Hammerfest in (2, 3). In 1947 he was appointed district «The doctor in his white coat and with a 1938. He is known as Norway’s first photo- medical officer in Kistrand, later Porsanger cigarette in his hand passes through the graphic artist, and in 1971 one of his works municipality, where he continued to work waiting room, where two elderly women are was accepted for the annual National Art for more than 20 years. In 1970, at the age sitting to each side of the door leading to the Exhibition as its first ever photograph. of 60 years, he was appointed district med- doctor’s surgery, waiting for his attention. His characteristic style is black-and-white ical officer in Andebu. In some ways he had There is an element of tension and unease photography, and it was for this that he gone full circle. Clemens originally hailed in the doctor’s facial expression and body earned artistic recognition (8). Kivijärvi from Larvik and had now returned to his language. The two women supplement the worked periodically as a photojournalist, home county (4). He retired in 1977. representation of the doctor in terms of motif and for his reporting he chose topics that Kivijärvi’s photo feature from 1970 and composition – as small, static characters he found interesting in terms of their poten- states that Clemens was about to enter a at the edges of the room, one slightly hun- tial imagery (9). Many of his most famous somewhat less hectic position as district ched and in dark clothing, the other with a works were originally published as feature medical officer. «He feels sadness about more confident bearing and in light-coloured articles in newspapers or weeklies (9). His leaving Lakselv, but the workload has clothes. The women make no contact with pictures would often operate on the inter- become excessive for a man of his age, each other; they both focus their interest section between photojournalism and art alone in this post» (1). on the photo’s main character» (6). I do not (5). His photographs are considered to be

Kåre Kivijärvi took four photos in the doctor’s waiting room. Shown here are frame nos. 18, 20 and 21 on his film roll. These have rarely been published previously, while no. 19 (next page) has achieved near-iconic status. It has been shown on a number of occasions through the years, including at a major photographic exhibition at the National Library in Oslo in 2011 (7). The pictures are reproduced by kind permission of Samuel Kivijärvi © Kåre Kivijärvi / BONO 2015

1152 Tidsskr Nor Legeforen nr. 12 – 13, 2015; 135: 1152 – 3 MEDICINE AND ART

Two elderly women are waiting for the Porsanger district medical officer. The doctor has his right hand in the pocket of his white coat. In his left hand he is holding a lit cigarette © Kåre Kivijärvi / BONO 2015 among the most important Norwegian By the early 1970s he had already ceased www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/5ba221d8c6406a86005e works of art of the 20th century. to engage in artistic photography (8). His 07d2792a3caf?index=0#104 (31.3.2014). 4. Berg R, Grytnes N, red. Andebu kommunes histo- Kivijärvi was a Kven, could speak Fin- final years were marked by illness, and he rie: 1837 – 1991. Andebu: Andebu kommmune, nish and lived for many years in Finland. died in 1991 at the age of only 53 years. 1994: 205. www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/ddb638ea Having lived the life of a bohemian artist 070f5715c134d54296342f6e?index=0#203 (31.3.2014). 5. Bones LE. Øyeblikket. Dagbladet 26.1.2008: 45. in Oslo and Helsinki, Kivijärvi returned Erlend Hem (born 1970) 6. Høydalsnes E. Kåre Kivijärvi: fotografier. Oslo: to Hammerfest where he wrote and photo- Bonytt, 2001: 92 – 3. MD, PhD, medical director at the Division graphed for the Finnmark Dagblad daily 7. Aasbø K. Kåre Kivijärvi: fotografier 1956 – 1991. of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Oslo: Forlaget Press, 2011: 189. newspaper during the years 1967 – 70. Some Hospital. 8. Bjerke ØS. Kåre Kivijärvi. I: Norsk biografisk leksi- of the photographs from this period, inclu- kon. https://nbl.snl.no/K%C3%A5re_Kivij%C3%A4rvi The author declares no conflicts of interest. ding The doctor’s waiting room, have been (22.3.2015). 9. Nasjonalbiblioteket. Kåre Kivijärvi. Bilder described as his greatest works of art (7). 1956 – 1991. Fotojournalisten. www.nb.no/ He produced a number of major feature References utstillinger/kivijarvi/journalisten.php (22.3.2015). reports from Finnmark county, focusing 1. Kivijärvi K. To samfunnsmennesker forlater on the living conditions of the local people Porsanger. Finnmark Dagblad 12.5.1970: 8 – 9. Received 1 April 2014, first revision submitted 2. Kobro I, red. Norges læger: 1937 – 1946. Oslo: in an age characterised by modernisation Aschehoug, 1951: 66. www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/ 23 March 2015, accepted 9 April 2015. The author and depopulation. The photographs that 590f0ffe3e36d85ea2c55331b4eb0dad?index=3#73 was deputy editor-in-chief of the Journal of the he chose to exhibit as works of art from (31.3.2014). Norwegian Medical Association. The manuscript 3. Møller TJ, red. Studentene fra 1930: biografiske this period appear as documentaries, with opplysninger, statistikk og artikler samlet til has therefore been reviewed externally by an people as their main motifs (9). 25 års jubileet 1955. Oslo, 1955: 57 – 8. independent editor. Editor: Michael Bretthauer.

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