Pain, Pleasure, Guilt

Concerned with issues of identity, fantasy, and power, Tykkä’s work functions simultaneously as an exploration of self-portraiture and a vehicle for cultural analysis. Pain, Pleasure, Guilt is a series of photographs that express an inner world of sexuality, awakening, and longing. Compositionally restrained yet emotionally intense, these images express something of the vulnerability, excitement, and trepidation that characterize the twilight years of adolescence. On the surface it may seem that not much is happening, given the simplicity of the narrative, yet beneath the exterior very deliberate attention is being paid to the psychological shifts or transformations of the protagonist. Tykkä’s work offers a dynamic similar to that of fairy tales: the allure of adventure is darkened by undertones that foreshadow the complexities and dangers of life.