Alexey Titarenko

Currently aged 50, Alexey Titarenko is a Russian photographer and artist mainly capturing movement through images in social and political circumstances. Titarenko uses various techniques such as collages and photomontages. Much like Jacques-Henri Lartigue all of his images are in monochrome creating an eerie and unnerving emotion through his images. One of his photomontages “Nomenklatura of signs” which first exhibited in 1988 is a metaphorical depiction of the communist regime in Russia; it depicts the oppression caused by the system which converts all of its citizens into mere signs. Another political inspiration on his photographs was the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. From this he created a series of images portraying the human conditions of the Russian people during this time. “To illustrate links between the past and present he created powerful metaphors by introducing long exposure and intentional camera movement into street photography.” “Titarenko's prints are subtly crafted in the darkroom. Bleaching and toning add depth to his nuanced palette of greys, rendering each print a unique interpretation of his experience and imbuing his work with a personal and emotive visual character.”