Boris Mikhailov

Boris Mikhailov's optics is attuned to gaps, to sliding along the sharp edges of ruptures. At the moment of shooting this photographer resembles a terrorist who is pulling the 'trigger' of the camera to blow up himself and those around him. Many of his snapshots are accompanied by tex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThird text Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 291 - 300
Main Author Tupitsyn, Victor
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 01.05.2011
Subjects
Boris Mikhailov
Case History
factography
Ilya Kabakov
Kharkov
Nan Goldin
Red Series
socialist modernism
Tate Modern
Victor Tupitsyn
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Summary:Boris Mikhailov's optics is attuned to gaps, to sliding along the sharp edges of ruptures. At the moment of shooting this photographer resembles a terrorist who is pulling the 'trigger' of the camera to blow up himself and those around him. Many of his snapshots are accompanied by texts written on the margins, above or below the image. His Red Series (1975-1982) deals with 'unauthorised' recollection of public events: jubilant demonstrations, law-abiding citizens at the voting booth, military training routines and so forth. By toning and hand-colouring these slightly anaemic photographs, Mikhailov re-energises them to the degree that they become (almost) acceptable to the mainstream of State Mythology. The Red Series can be seen at Tate Modern (from 18 April 2011).
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ISSN:0952-8822
1475-5297
DOI:10.1080/09528822.2011.573313