Investments in the work of one of the most famous Ukrainian photographers in the orbit of Russian Contemporary Art

Most of the artist was struck by "Ukrainian physicality," which he describes as the main achievement of independence, - "nowhere else you will not see many female bare feet or protruding bellies male with crosses. In order to most clearly display the pagan bodily freedom, he was not afraid to use the images risky: one of his pictures, which shows a girl in a revealing pose, Ukrainian officials called "pornographic". These photos - a logical continuation of his project Vagina is my Motherland, shown at the Venice Biennale - 2007; only there for the "physicality" to meet the daunting machine Pipe Rolling Plant Pinchuk - in particular, a device transforming disc into the pipe. "Blanks, spinning, crashing is a fiery hole - it looked sexy." The artist presented videoskulpturu - steel box c oval screen to show the video "internal" machines.

Creativity Bratkov recognized on the world stage. His work has been exhibited at major international exhibitions - not only in Venice but also in Sao Paulo, and in San Sebastian (in the "Manifesto"). In addition, the artist can boast of "personalkami" in MMSI, Center for the Arts Baltic (Gateshead, UK) and Fotomuzee Winterthur (Switzerland). He started his Bratkov, among other things, as a painter, and only in the early 1990's, influenced by another famous Kharkovian, Boris Mikhailov, turned to photography. As Mikhailov, with whom he entered the "Rapid Response Team" (1994-1996), Bratkov never refused to shoot scenes, which are usually close their eyes. What is shown in his photographs, often has nothing to do with beauty, but his undoubted talent to create vivid images etched in my memory - there can recall that Bratkov has a broad experience in commercial photography, including the journal "Playboy". As noted by Viktor Misiano, showing his commercial work, the artist acknowledges its participation in the "total performance", because so honest - modern author can not, as the Soviet nonconformist, to hide in the underground, art has become part of shaping the human subjectivity of the industry.

In many of his works Bratkov asks the question: where does, from which it formed a human "I"? Take, for example, a series of photos of secretaries, where they are depicted in Nude and sexual attitudes, or series of "Kids", by which the artist received in the 1990's notorious. Scenes latter is divorced from the "child theme" (more precisely, with the decision taken in the mass-culture representation of it): one girl is shown with a cigarette, another handcuffed to a radiator ... As one of the creative legends, an image of "Kids" have designed the parents, makeup, and dressed their offspring in an adult ": According to the recollections of the artist, these people, eager for whatever was to push children in the modeling business, discharged them so obscenely that he himself was frightened.

Generally, in the view Bratkov always present irony: despite his "kids", the secretaries, major military girls, mud baths and young patients fearless heroes, the music group " Beasts "diving from a pier into the sea, where the bottom of sticking fragments of concrete - it is impossible not to feel a sense of the absurd. Another problem affecting creativity Bratkov: the exploitation of the artist for his model, the subordination of the latter. According to the same Viktor Misiano, his works the artist shows that in the modern world to pretend that you do not have anything in common with the surrounding sleaze, more immoral than admit their involvement in it.

Like most contemporary authors, the market works Bratkov predominantly primary, of gallery. But in recent years his work increasingly appear on the western and Ukrainian auctions (for example, the "golden section"). Estimate - from 3 to 10 thousand euros. Care still relatively rare. Auction record Bratkov is the sum of 11 thousand euros. So many have posted a two-meter photo "Militia cross" April 3, 2008 at Phillips de Pury.

Material prepared Ekaterina Guseva

Source: deweergallery.com , mycityua.com , artinvestment . ru