Boris Savelev

In the feedback to Assignment Three, my tutor, Robert Enoch, suggested I look at the work of Boris Savalev in respect of use of light.  Savalev's use of light is obviously very interesting, as his his subject matter, realism in Russia; I like his effective use of shadow, which adds to the sense of mysticism about Russia. In this image below, exhibited in 2009 at the Michael Hoppen gallery, the use of light and shade makes me feel that I'm being given a priviledged glimpse of something that perhaps we are not supposed to witness. 

MH2011_14 (c) Boris Savalev

In Girl in a Box, taken in 1981, the contrast between light and dark is quite extreme, but with the coloured areas balanced.   Amazing how although the girl is in the dark patches she is shining through.  Thinking about context (Leningrad 1981) you can apply different meanings to the light and dark relating to Russia's social history.

Girl in a Box (c) Boris Savalev