My
project called MARRIAGE Inc. It is a self-published photo book on
Blurb.com that I will use as a catalog for a future exhibition(s).
I
would like to propose an exhibition "I Know You Will" for series of my photographs that depict the notion of marriage in contemporary society, which closely correlates with
consumption. I work with
Nikon D700 and raw digital negatives so that I can customize size and quality
of my work to the standards of the specific exhibition. Yet, my preference to have 15 to 20 borderless
prints uniformly sized in white frame. Although my photographs are sequenced they do not need to be
in the same continuous space.
This
series of my photographs is my exploration of the intimate relationship in
contemporary world. My aspiration
is to depict the complexity of basic human longing for romanticized
relationship, which is overwhelmed by the commodities of the contemporary
world.
“Intimate relationships have existed since the beginning of
humankind. At first, marriage was seen as the union of two individuals who
accumulated wealth. They would pass this wealth onto the next generation, which
then continued the cycle. In this view, marriage was seen as a kind of business
deal. However, in western society marriage has since evolved into a
relationship based on romantic love, rather than on wealth and socioeconomic
status. Two individuals get married as proof of their lifelong commitment to
each other. Nevertheless, the desire to accumulate wealth still exists. In
general, our society equates economic wealth to power and status. This
dichotomy questions our view of marriage: is it based on the desire for
financial success, romance, or possibly both? Many modern-day relationships begin with romantic love, lead
into a legal union, and ultimately evolve into a pursuit of financial
performance and the accumulation of material possessions. However, our contemporary society
believes that these mutually exclusive experiences can coexist”. by Sonia Sedova
Artist Statement:
Roberta Ella, born 1972, USSR
In her photographs, Roberta attempts to point out the mutual exclusivity, or conversely the compatibility, of romance and the quest for wealth. She likes to work with her children as they explore this idea together. Roberta photographs her children not in the typical sense of family snapshots, but rather from a distance. Because of this, the photographs each take their own paths, as her children are not intentionally posing for the pictures. She is interested in simply providing a framework of reference for the children as well as the viewer. Her intent is to have her children influence the photograph just as much as the photographer.
Roberta Ella, born 1972, USSR
In her photographs, Roberta attempts to point out the mutual exclusivity, or conversely the compatibility, of romance and the quest for wealth. She likes to work with her children as they explore this idea together. Roberta photographs her children not in the typical sense of family snapshots, but rather from a distance. Because of this, the photographs each take their own paths, as her children are not intentionally posing for the pictures. She is interested in simply providing a framework of reference for the children as well as the viewer. Her intent is to have her children influence the photograph just as much as the photographer.
Exhibition Proposal to:
85 Hamilton Street
corner New Jersey Railroad Avenue
Newark, NJ 07105
Attn: Heather Hakimzadeh, Associated Curator
2200 Park Avenue,
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Also looking for a free public space in Newark, NJ for a very
short duration to curate group exhibition with another artist who works in
3D.
My project was based on research of the following
material:
Consuming
the Romantic Utopia, by Eva Illouz
Will
You Marry Me? Spectacle and Consumption in the Ritual of Marriage Proposals, by Phillip Vannini Department of
Sociology University of Victoria
Inspired by the following artists:
Text
by Sonia Sedova
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