Boris Mikhailov

Historical Insinuations

The exhibition of Kharkov inhabitant Boris Mikhailov who began to shoot in 1966 and who is celebrating in 2008 his 70th anniversary, is presented with three series of works from different decades : -147;Suzy and Others-148; (1960-151;1970s), -147;Salt Lakes-148; (1986) and -147;Case History-148; (1997-151;1998). Stylistic dominants of Mikhailov▓s creative work -151; bodilyness, everyday life and epatage are expressed in all of the three. Unbearable everyday life was showed at -147;Suzy and Others-148; -151; the series of small format sketches with defecating cow, singing militiaman and a still fife with wig, three sprats and a spotted tie. Ecstatic pleasure of faint bodies is dominating at -147;Salt Lakes-147; (Photo-novel about Donbas reservoir, which is supplied mainly by leaking plant pipe, but which is consider to be healing spring by native inhabitants) Catastrophe of surviving on post-Soviet area is clearly seen at acute socially and tragically monumental -132;Case History-148; with its portraits of the lumpens-133; The experimental color mounting of all three series is the continuation of Mikhailov▓s experiments with painted photographs from family album -151;-147;Luriki-148; (1960-151;1070s) or with monochromic blue and brown war series. Here the technique became significant itself. Non- professional color of -147;Suzy-147; indicate everyday life; -132;Salt Lakes-148; is exploiting visuallity of classic documentary shooting, and gamma-express photographs expose the practice itself of amateur photography -151; such -147;middle-brow-art-148; (P. Bourdiu) from one side to parody it, from the other -151; to raise to the symbol of time. Boris Mikhailov▓s experiments with bodilyness and baring ( with himself, with family or with social) exhibitionism and voyeurism in some way is grown into a simple wish to render a nude body. And it is not clear what is prevail -151; the pose or a document, the nude bomzhes are posing or expose to the justice their sores and customs. And Mikhailov▓ tone is not like Sergei Chilikov▓ madsness of joyfull ecstatic, and is not a problem sexuality of Nun Goldin. Here we have social bodylyness -151;languid-beach (-147;Salt Lakes-147;) or bottom-repulsive (-147;Case-History-148;), it is presented in a very broad diapason; from suffocated slackness to ulcerous aggressiveness. Such problematized ethic and everyday life photographical extremism with problem visuallity (the technique of -132;non-professional-148; photography) are creating a particular field of tension and recognizable style of Boris Mikhailov▓ works.