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Alexey Titarenko

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Alexey Titarenko
Алексей Титаренко
Born
Alexey Viktorovich Titarenko

(1962-11-25) November 25, 1962 (age 61)
Leningrad, Soviet Union
NationalityRussia, United States
Known forPhotography

Alexey Viktorovich Titarenko (Russian: Алексей Викторович Титаренко; born 1962 in Leningrad, USSR, now Saint Petersburg, Russia) is a Russian (and later, a naturalized American) photographer and artist.

Titarenko's "Saint Petersburg, 1992", from "City of Shadows" series.

Biography

At age 15, Titarenko became the youngest member of the independent photo club Zerkalo (Mirror).[1] He went on to graduate with honors from the Department of Cinematic and Photographic Art at Leningrad's Institute of Culture.[2][3]

Influenced by the Russian avant-garde works of Kazimir Malevich, Alexander Rodchenko and the Dada art movement (from the early 20th century), his series of collages, photomontages and images created by superposing several negatives, Nomenklatura of Signs (first exhibited only in 1988, in Leningrad) is a commentary on the Communist regime as an oppressive system that converts citizens into mere signs.[4][5][6] In 1989, Nomenklatura of Signs was included in Photostroika, a major show of new Soviet photography that toured the US.[7]

During and after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991–1992, he produced several series of photographs about the human condition of ordinary people living on its territory and the suffering they endured then and throughout the twentieth century. To illustrate links between the present and the past, he created metaphors by introducing long exposure and intentional camera movement into street photography.[8][9][10] Sources have noted that his most important innovation is the way he uses long exposure.[11][12][13][14] John Bailey, in his essay about Garry Winogrand and Titarenko, mentioned that one of the obstacles that he surmounted successfully was being too visible himself and, as a consequence, people's possible reaction to his presence altering the authenticity of the image.[15] [16][17]

Titarenko's best-known series from this period is City of Shadows (which is also a title of his autobiographical novel),[18] whose urban landscapes reiterate the Odessa Steps (also known as the Primorsky or Potemkin Stairs) scene from Sergei Eisenstein's film The Battleship Potemkin.[19] Inspired by the music of Dmitri Shostakovich and the novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky, Titarenko also translated Dostoevsky's vision of the Russian soul into sometimes poetic, sometimes dramatic pictures of his native city, Saint Petersburg.[20][21][22]

Along with Alexander Sokurov's 2002 film Russian Ark, the City of Shadows exhibition (which now included photographs from the mid and late 1990s inspired by Dostoevsky's novels) was a part of the program celebrating the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg at the 2003 Clifford Symposium, in Middlebury, VT: What Became of Peter's Dream? Petersburg in History and Arts[23] The Russian Ark and the City of Shadows have one similarity: both are based on the experimental innovation: Alexander Sokurov using a single, very long – 96 minutes sequence shot and Titarenko's several minutes long exposure for some of his photographs.[24][25]

In his photographs from Venice, mostly taken between 2001 and 2008, Titarenko uses "... a highly stylized technic that he put deftly in a service of strongly determined vision."[26]Moreover, "Venice also offers him a reminiscence of Saint Petersburg, similar to a recollection found in the work of Marcel Proust, who, in Albertine disparue (The Fugitive), recounts during his Venetian sojourn that he cannot resist comparisons to Combray."[27] Venice, Italy creates a counterbalance, a point of comparison with Venice of the North where he was born - Saint Petersburg.[28][29] In Titarenko's photographs, like in Proust's writings, " ... what matters is less the scrupulous description of reality than a particular vision it renders."[30]

Titarenko creates his prints in the darkroom. Critics have called him a master of the darkroom technique.[9][31][32] Selective bleaching and toning (often done by brush) add depth to his palette of grays. Like Man Ray and Maurice Tabard, Titarenko uses solarisation, but unlike his predecessors, he exposes the print to light during the developing process mostly at the edges and in such a subtle way that it only lowers the contrast and creates a very particular kind of gray silver 'veil'. Nonetheless, in order to emphasize the dramatic aspects of the City of Shadows series, he sometimes uses the Sabattier effect called the Mackie line.[33]

Through interviews, lectures, books, curated exhibitions and two documentaries by French-German TV channel Arte (2004, 2005), Titarenko describes a particular vision of an artist and of art, close to that of Marcel Proust, linked to literature, poetry and classical music (especially that of Dmitri Shostakovich), placing himself very far apart from contemporary tendencies developing particularly in Moscow.[34]

A 2011 exhibition of 15 gelatin silver prints from his Havana, Cuba series in the J. Paul Getty Museum group show, A Revolutionary Project: Cuba from Walker Evans to Now, linked Titarenko's approach to street photography in contemporary Havana to that of Walker Evans in 1933, by the subjects he photographed and aspects of his printing.[35][36][37]

Titarenko became a naturalized United States citizen in 2011; and, as of 2014, lives and works in New York City as an artist, photographer, and printer.[32][38][39]

Publications

Publications by Titarenko

  • Nomenklature of Signs. 1991. Short story with photographs.[n 1]
  • The Photographs from the Cycle Black and White Magic of St. Petersburg. 1997. With an essay in Russian and English by Georgy Golenky, Senior Research Curator at the Russian State Museum, St.Peterburg.[n 2]
  • Alexei Titarenko. Toulouse, France: Galerie Municipale de Château d'Eau, 2000. ISBN 2-913241-20-4.
  • City of Shadows. Saint Petersburg, Russia: Art-Tema, 2001. ISBN 5-94258-005-7.
  • Alexey Titarenko, Photographs. Washington D.C.: Nailya Alexander, 2003. ISBN 0-9743991-0-8.
  • The City is a Novel / Alexey Titarenko. Bologna, Italy: Damiani, 2015. ISBN 978-88-6208-414-7.

Publication with contributions by Titarenko

Exhibitions

  • Experiences photographiques russes, Month of Photography in Paris 1992, Grand Ecran, Paris, France. Titarenko contributed photographs from his Nomenklatura of signs series to this exhibition.[40][41]
  • Alexey Titarenko, City of Shadows, July–August 2001, Apex Fine Art, Absolut L.A. International Biennal, Los Angeles, USA.[42]
  • Alexey Titarenko, les quatre mouvements de Saint-Petersbourg, July–September 2002, Musée Réattu, Rencontres d'Arles festival, Arles, France.[43]
  • Alexey Titarenko: Saint Petersburg in Four Movements, Nailya Alexander Gallery, New York, February–April 2010.[44]
  • A Revolutionary Project: Cuba from Walker Evans to Now, May-October 2011 Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA. Titarenko contributed photographs from Cuba to this group exhibition on the island.[35]
  • Italia Inside Out. I Grandi Fotografi E L'Italia, November 2015 - February 2016, Palazzo della Ragione, Milan, Italy. Titarenko contributed photographs from Venice to this group exhibition about Italy.[45]

Collections

Titarenko's work is held in the following permanent collections:

Documentary TV and film about Titarenko

  • "Le Journal de la Culture" series on Arte aired a 7-minute episode on Titarenko in 2004.[55]
  • Alexey Titarenko: Art et la Maniere (2005). 30 minutes. Directed by Rebecca Houzel. Produced by Image & Co. for Arte.[56]

References

  1. ^ ZERKALO: Forever After, The State Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSPHOTO, St.Petersburg, Russia, 2017, page 17, 38, 41, 42, 124-127, 271, 272, 292, 322 ISBN 978-5-91238-026-6
  2. ^ Dictionnaire mondial de la photographie Paris, Éditions Larousse, 1994, page 629, ISBN 2-03-511335-0
  3. ^ William Meyers. "Alexey Titarenko's Venetian Style." The New York Sun, April 24, 2008
  4. ^ Schwendener, Martha "A city's artistic rebellion. Photographs and other works that pushed boundaries in late-cold-war Leningrad." New York Times, June 2, 2013
  5. ^ "Underground Russian photography 1970s–1980s" The New Yorker, March 19, 2012
  6. ^ Meyers, William. "Shades of Reality. Underground Russian photography in 1970s–1980s" Wall Street Journal March 10–11, 2012
  7. ^ Sartorti, Rosalinde (1989). "No more heroic tractors: Subverting the legacy of socialist realism." Pp 8–17 of Richardson, Nan; Hagen Charles (1989). Photostroika: New Soviet Photography. Aperture 116. New York: Aperture Foundation. ISBN 0-89381-410-5. LCCN 58-30845
  8. ^ William Meyers "Two Tales of Two Cities" New York Sun March 2, 2006 , page 15
  9. ^ a b William Meyers. "A Master of Technique." Wall Street Journal, March 13–14, 2010
  10. ^ Gabriel Bauret "Fragments of the discourse on a photographic oeuvre" Alexey Titarenko photographs / Gabriel Bauret essay, Nailya Alexander, Washington D.C. 2003, pages 20, 26, 30, 34, 40, 42. ISBN 0-9743991-0-8
  11. ^ Pollack, Barbara. "Alexey Titarenko." Art News, April 2010, page 108
  12. ^ A.-D. Bouzet. "Saint Petersburg en Ombre et Blanc." Libération, Paris, July 21, 2002
  13. ^ The Elements of Photography. Understanding and Creating Sophisticated Images. Oxford, Elsevier, 2008, page 200-205, ISBN 978-0-240-80942-7
  14. ^ Tim Smith "Black, White, Grey Titarenko's photos in new exhibit are eerily timeless and bleak" Baltimore Sun, June 1, 2012
  15. ^ " Street-Wise: The Photography of Garry Winogrand and Alexey Titarenko " American Cinematographer. An International Publication of the ASC, accessed January 21, 2018
  16. ^ Glueck, Grace "Northern Light." New York Times, New York, March 24, 2006
  17. ^ Ollman, Leah. "Russian Photos Trace Images of Mortality and Memory." Los Angeles Times, August 3, 2001
  18. ^ "City of Shadows" in The City is a Novel / Alexey Titarenko, Damiani, 2015, pages 15-36, ISBN 978-88-6208-414-7
  19. ^ Protzman, Ferdinand. Landscape. Photographs of Time and Place. National Geographic, 2003, page 84-86, ISBN 0-7922-6166-6
  20. ^ Guerrin, Michel. "Alexey Titarenko, clair-obscure." Le Monde, Paris, February 22, 2003
  21. ^ Bouruet-Aubertot, Veronique "La Cite des Ombres." Beaux-Arts magazine, Paris, February 2003
  22. ^ Aidan Dunne. "Camera in a City of Shadows." Irish Times, Dublin, May 5, 2007
  23. ^ Diane E. Foulds. "Revisiting the world of the Romanovs." Boston Sunday Globe, Boston, November 2, 2003
  24. ^ Higgins, Jackie. The World Atlas of Street Photography. Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2014, pages 226–229, ISBN 978-0-300-20716-3, LCCN 2014-940105
  25. ^ Ian Haydn Smith. The Short Story of Photography. Laurence King Publishing, London, 2018, page 209, ISBN 978-1786272010, LCCN 1786-272016
  26. ^ William Meyers. "Alexey Titarenko's Venetian Style." The New York Sun, April 24, 2008
  27. ^ Bauret, Gabriel "The Theatre and its Wings"; in Titarenko The City is a Novel, Damiani, 2015, page 104, ISBN 978-88-6208-414-7
  28. ^ Tim, Smith "Fascinating exhibit of photographs, smoke drawings at Grimaldis"; The Baltimore Sun, June 25, 2013
  29. ^ Bret, McCabe "Venice by Alexey Titarenko" Baltimore City Paper, June 19, 2013
  30. ^ Bauret, Gabriel "The Theatre and its Wings"; in Titarenko The City is a Novel, Damiani, 2015, page 104, ISBN 978-88-6208-414-7
  31. ^ Bauret, Gabriel "La Ville est un Roman"; in Titarenko, The City is a Novel, Damiani, 2015, pages 10-11, ISBN 978-88-6208-414-7
  32. ^ a b Robertson, Rebecca "Bringing Shadows to Life. Alexey Titarenko" Art News, New York City, June 2014, page 54-57
  33. ^ Hugues, Sylvie "Alexey Titarenko, esthetique et documentaire." Response Photo magazine n.132, Paris, France, March 2003, page 80-89
  34. ^ Aspects de la photographie Russe (Aspects of Russian photography) Nice Musées, Nice, France, 2002, page 86, 130–133, 151, ISBN 2-913548-41-5
  35. ^ a b Johnson, Reed. "Cuba under the lens at the Getty Museum." Los Angeles Times, May 27, 2011
  36. ^ Brett, Abbott "Waiting to Awake"; in Titarenko, The City is a Novel, Damiani, 2015, pages 132-133, ISBN 978-88-6208-414-7
  37. ^ "Our Men in Havana: Walker Evans and Alexey Titarenko" American Cinematographer. An International Publication of the ASC, accédé le 21 janvier 2018
  38. ^ Burnstine, Susan "Connection American." Black&White photography magazine, United Kingdom, June 2010, page 20, 21
  39. ^ "Alexey Titarenko", The New Yorker magazine, May 11, 2015
  40. ^ Mois de la Photo a Paris 1992, Paris-Audiovisuel, Paris, France. ISBN 978-2-904732-55-3
  41. ^ Dictionnaire mondial de la photographie des origines a nos jours, Éditions Larousse, 1994, 978-5-91238-026-6, page 629
  42. ^ Russian Photos Trace Images of Mortality and Memory. Art Reviews by LEAH OLLMAN, special to the Times. Los Angeles Times, August 3, 2001, page F20
  43. ^ A.-D. Bouzet. "Saint Petersburg en Ombre et Blanc." Libération, Paris, July 21, 2002, page 27
  44. ^ "Alexey Titarenko: Saint Petersburg in Four Movements", Nailya Alexander Gallery, Accessed 3 September 2016
  45. ^ Henri Cartier-Bresson e gli altri. I Grandi Fotografi E L'Italia, A cura di Giovanna Calvenzi, Contrasto, Milan, Italy, 2015, pages 115-123, ISBN 978-88-09-82779-0
  46. ^ " Collections", Philadelphia Museum of Art, Accessed 28 November 2017
  47. ^ " Collections", Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Accessed 28 November 2017
  48. ^ " Works from the collection", Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Accessed 3 November 2016
  49. ^ "Untitled (Crowd 2)", Chrysler Museum of Art via Squarespace, Accessed 3 September 2016
  50. ^ "Objects", Davis Museum at Wellesley College, Accessed 3 September 2016
  51. ^ " Works from the collection", The J. Paul Getty Museum, Accessed 8 September 2016
  52. ^ " ‘Leningrad’s Perestroika,’ at Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick", The New York Times, Accessed 14 January 2018
  53. ^ " Works from the collection", Yale University Art Gallery, Accessed 14 January 2018
  54. ^ " Works from the collection", Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow, Accessed 24 May 2018
  55. ^ "Le Journal de la Culture" via youtube., Accessed 18 December 2016
  56. ^ "Art et la Maniere" via youtube., Accessed 14 December 2016

Notes

  1. ^ The publication can be viewed as a PDF here within Titarenko's site.
  2. ^ The essay can be viewed as a PDF here within Titarenko's site.
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