The extraordinary in the ordinary
In photography, there are many genres and for all, of course, there are elements of art. But the art-photo is still alone. On this direction in an interview with "Arts Council" says art historian and photographer Ivan Porto.
- Abroad, such a concept has always existed. We it appeared - or rather legalized - in the early 90's and I must say, absolutely organically included in our contemporary artistic life. And in today's so-called contemporary art photography has played a leading role. Many museums have become art photographs, along with graphics and painting. There was a certain circle of artists,
who work in this genre, making the exhibition of their works. •
- However, they are heated debates: some fundamentally call themselves
photographers, others - artists.
- For me photography is built on the same laws as any other
art. These are the laws of composition, sculpture, color and tone, volume and
proportions. A lens and the film - only the means of creating this artistic
work.
- Many of your colleagues prefer black and white photography ...
- I have a lot of black and white, such a purely formal graphical
things, I love them very much. But the picturesque beginning closer to me. When I see nature, I
trying to find in it such expressiveness that would be akin to painting. There is
look - ordinary dock for boats, and suddenly you see there any rhythms
plastic, green-bluish nacre, almost like Vrubel sink ...
I am the way, really like to rent boats, ships, and their details. This excellent
way to practice with the color: color plane, bizarre draperies,
texture of wood and rope and the main thing - reflections. All this resonates with each other, and there is
kind of very beautiful painting. That's why I was doing color.
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And the audience likes it. All boat ride, but few who looks like this boat is reflected in the water. And you show, and for the person called another, previously
unknown to him the world, and it was good.
- Among your works are almost never encountered such traditional genres as
portrait or landscape ...
- I rarely take off my characters, although I have nothing against that, and portraits of me
eat. Here I was in England, and somewhere on the street near my bus stop. I suddenly looked
- Sits intelligent old - well, just the embodiment of English style. I
think it is quite a good photo, in it and the image is - a thoughtful,
abstractedly, and some decorative solution through a red frame.
But I do not like to shoot landscapes. This whole "green lyric" in painting is much better looking than in pictures.
- And to nudity as you think?
- You know, once on an erotic show in MOSKh I exhibited three works.
This - the girls I century AD. I shot these basalt sculptures fragmentary,
fact, plastic, let's feet, wrinkles - itself expressive. And from the conditional female body under the folds begins to winnow poetry, expressive forms, even eternity
- Any antiquity - is your favorite subject?
- Yes, I am very fond of antiquity. Dilapidated, reviled by humanity, after many centuries, it is for me not to lose its original, artistic essence. Moreover, a broken statue can now be more expressive than it was then. Because of her, in the absence of its parts is a tragedy of very high order.
One of my favorite motives here - the column. Here they are in chaos, that's just the heel of columns, here - the column, as a kind of sliced sausage, here - with one column touches another ... They can pull, build, rent is very large. Purely sculptural, by the way, again, a great way to practice in the composition. Anyhow, in all this lies a very expressive image, which makes us think - what beautiful people created.
Another surprising motif - amphitheaters, their seat, from which the patricians and
inhabitants of ancient cities witnessed the spectacle. They are mostly poorly preserved.
And this jagged steps gives an incredible rhythm and plastic ... They can be seen
very tough, constructive. And there's a very important color - the presence of parts, which
bring a picturesque start.
Special theme - amphora. To me, they represent some advanced forms.
You look - well, a pitcher, great. And suddenly discover in it a man-made beauty, and I
would say, drama - in his pen, in a coherent form of the handles with textured surface ...
- And to see like this, you need to do that? What are you doing?
- I'm looking, looking for some kind of plastic art the beginning and try it for
themselves formulate. I very nature dictates that I will shoot. But that is
Expressive lift, I go with one hand, on the other and seeking the most appropriate
I think the perception point of view on this subject or object, has been withdrawn.
I, like any artist, it is important to all of this not only see but also emphasize
the most expressive moments.
It is very important to find the angle and light. Find the scale of the plan, so there was nothing superfluous. After all, you can simply remove it from afar, as a landscape that, as a rule, not impressed.
I like the lens would intrude into the lives of these colonnades and shards in the life of a bygone era antique. They can be removed so you can some sort, another perspective - a different perspective - a different world, one must go and look. And this process is so fascinating ...
- How many takes of a song you get?
- One. I do different, not closer, further. You know, the arts and
knowledge of the fine arts taught me the accuracy of vision. I immediately pick
composition, and then nothing ever remix - not cut and do not increase,
not me.
- Which printing method do you prefer?
- Only the hand print of the film. The figure I did not recognize, because the figure
All flattens. It does not allow transfer of such so Sfumato, feelings
space volume, which is in the painting - is any printer you confirm.
The set of all very important for you details - to place some emphasis
color, somewhere to pull the shade - can only be done by a human hand. Therefore, each
picture in the end turns out the man-made.
The figure, of course, now develops cheaper, becomes available, and all the enthusiasm removed. A film photography and hand-printing pass into an art. And over time, by the way, will be very expensive.
- Ivan B., and actually as you engage in photography?
- I started to withdraw from class 8 - dreamed of working in VGIK and become a cinematographer
- Preparing, shooting, went to the views and went to the club of young art at the Museum
Pushkin. However, I failed the entrance exams
(it was very difficult - 15 people in place and so on) and got into the army. And after that
no risk, acted immediately to the University for faculty of art criticism - on
evenings, because work had to be. I settled down a photographer in the Central House
architect.
While studying, I kept shooting, and so that the exhibition did. And when he graduated from
University, had to decide: to carry a photo or art. And although I
were very good proposals related to photography, I have this thing tied up. Almost 20 years. That is, I sometimes carried a camera in any trip, but he quickly served me a notebook.
- How did it happen return?
- In early 1990, my colleagues - and I was by this time worked in the Tretyakov
Gallery, and the Ministry of Culture and the Union of Artists and so on - they say: "Listen, you exhibited, you were wonderful pictures, and what you all
abandoned? "And then I blurted out how. I bought good equipment, carried away, and now it was simply a matter of my life.
- A lot depends on the equipment?
- Well, the equipment must be good. Although generally depends on it a bit. I
all my life I remember one photographer, his name was Aleksey Aleksandrov.
We traveled with him in Kizhi. He had a machine "Lingof" 1939. He covered
cloth, filmed on the tapes, the lens had been without a shutter. And he said: "Wan, you
Wait, that cloud will come to the cathedral ... "It was a master, who was filming everything.
But today can shoot everything, and it is very simply and easily with soap holders, or more expensive vehicles. But all removed mechanically seen a simple picture. But in order to intelligently select and remove - almost no one does anything. In the best case, a beautiful landscape ...
- These glossy postcards ...
- Yes. And you know, I have a series called "Images and reflections of Venice. I
many times in this city before. " And the fact that I initially took off, very much like
pictures from fashion magazines. And then I had the idea: I get up at 6 am
walked through the desert of Venice and tried to discover the soul of the Venetian
emptiness. Amazing, when the channel as a mirror reflects the city. The sun is rising, lighting the tops of houses, and also reflected in the channel, and the city is so unreal and upside down. And in your imagination, and literally.
- In general, any city at dawn, completely different looks.
- Remarkably, yes. Therefore, the important role played by photography light. Subjects
different lot. So I talked yesterday with his counterpart. He said: "For me important
plot, the unusual situation and everything. " Well, yes, it is always interesting and nice, but good
to be supported by some kind of artistic means