NINA PROKOFIEVA
PORTRAITS: VOLUME I
My practice is mostly focused on working with people without a professional modelling background. Some of them have never been in front of a camera.
For me, studio work is always about the relationship that I establish with a human, or in fact any other being. That relationship is made possible by the space we work in. It is the space which underpins and determines the structure of our interaction. This series demonstrates the unique rhythmic composition flow, as well as the creative bond that develops between each model and me.
I choose stark concrete premises, with no furniture, most often old, abandoned factories. The abundance of air, the large windows
and natural light those reinvented studios are rich in, come together to create the feeling of a space designed for a person freely to move in.
My models often have backgrounds in drama. Actors are among the people who generally have a knack for the concept of “my existence within a space”. I accord them full freedom of movement, so they could reveal and express themselves without any restrictions or constraints. I offer my models a primary impetus, such as music blaring at full blast, or fans to generate flows of air. The atmosphere which emerged at that moment would then encourage the model to begin moving, and I would start my shoot. I revelled in the effect of surprise, the unpredictability of the final shape this blend of bodies, fabrics and light would eventually result in.
Shoots turn into a dialogue, a game of Q & As between my model and me. That’s what I believe represents the very essence of photography. It’s all about seizing, or capturing a moment as part of a never-ending continuum. In terms of feelings, it’s like catching your breath, as though you are on a swing: you get that sensation of your belly seizing up and your chest getting somewhat compressed. Photography is about jumping headlong into a stream and becoming part of that stream.