Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhailov, 78, is regarded as one of the most important artists to emerge from the former USSR.
From "Yesterday's Sandwich" (1966-1968) by Boris Mikhailov —
Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhailov, 78, is regarded as one of the most important artists to emerge from the former USSR.
Courtesy boris mikhailov
Mikhailov started pursuing photography seriously in the 1960s, after he was fired from his engineering job following a KGB raid. (They discovered nude photos he'd taken of his wife.)
From "Yesterday's Sandwich" (1966-1968) by Boris Mikhailov —
Mikhailov started pursuing photography seriously in the 1960s, after he was fired from his engineering job following a KGB raid. (They discovered nude photos he'd taken of his wife.)
courtesy boris mikhailov
"There was no resistance to official ideology, and this encouraged me to search for a new language in art. I was certain that it was impossible to photograph 'the normal' without reflecting on the wicked," he told CNN in an email.
From "Yesterday's Sandwich" (1966-1968) by Boris Mikhailov —
"There was no resistance to official ideology, and this encouraged me to search for a new language in art. I was certain that it was impossible to photograph 'the normal' without reflecting on the wicked," he told CNN in an email.
courtesy boris mikhailov
Much of his Mikhailov -- including the "Yesterday's Sandwich" series for which he overlaid color photos taken during the '60s and early '70s -- is playful and surreal.
From "Yesterday's Sandwich" (1966-1968) by Boris Mikhailov —
Much of his Mikhailov -- including the "Yesterday's Sandwich" series for which he overlaid color photos taken during the '60s and early '70s -- is playful and surreal.
courtesy boris mikhailov
However, his most famous series, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D3%26cad%3Drja%26uact%3D8%26ved%3D0ahUKEwiInfCQpM_UAhUKIVAKHQoXAuMQFgg5MAI%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.moma.org%252Fcalendar%252Fexhibitions%252F1125%26usg%3DAFQjCNFF1B8aRyHCrcwBSEwLWhEACEkGpQ%26sig2%3Dfg6TARDBgFQ3CbGrWbQ2Mw" target="_blank" target="_blank">"Case History,"</a> was a stark look at the dismal living conditions in Ukraine after the fall of communism.
From "Yesterday's Sandwich" (1966-1968) by Boris Mikhailov —
However, his most famous series, "Case History," was a stark look at the dismal living conditions in Ukraine after the fall of communism.
courtesy boris mikhailov
"Almost half a century ago, I began to accumulate my photographic material, which, like a mountaineer, I dragged all these years uphill, believing in its value and fighting for it," Mikhailov said.
From "Yesterday's Sandwich" (1966-1968) by Boris Mikhailov —
"Almost half a century ago, I began to accumulate my photographic material, which, like a mountaineer, I dragged all these years uphill, believing in its value and fighting for it," Mikhailov said.
courtesy boris mikhailov
"But it wasn't until the beginning of the 1990s, marked by the collapse of the USSR and the formation of Ukraine, that my past proved to be important for many."
From "Yesterday's Sandwich" (1966-1968) by Boris Mikhailov —
"But it wasn't until the beginning of the 1990s, marked by the collapse of the USSR and the formation of Ukraine, that my past proved to be important for many."
courtesy boris mikhailov
This year, the photographer is showing a new series, "Parliament," at Ukraine's pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale.
From "Parliament" (2014-2017) by Boris Mikhailov —
This year, the photographer is showing a new series, "Parliament," at Ukraine's pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale.
courtesy boris mikhailov
"These pictures are both of parliament and they are not of parliament, highlighting the uncertainty, we are living under," he explained during the exhibition's opening.
From "Parliament" (2014-2017) by Boris Mikhailov —
"These pictures are both of parliament and they are not of parliament, highlighting the uncertainty, we are living under," he explained during the exhibition's opening.
courtesy boris mikhailov