Photo series

Dark side of the spring

Tatiana Bulanova

In the series Dark side of the spring I wanted to explore the concept of female beauty today. Conventionally, it's associated with such symbols as soft lines, round shapes, blooming flowers, etc. and celebrated as being the food for the eyes of onlookers. I decided to show the dark side of this traditional imagery, by either literally capturing those typical beautiful images during the night time or showcasing them as damaged, weird, out of the world.

The medium was a cheap analog camera equipped with a black & white film, chosen with an intention to uncover an eerie, somewhat mysterious nature of the objects. The main method of assembling the images was through "photo hunting" on the streets of Berlin. In this way I continued the theme of the underlying reality of daily life that I've already explored in my previous project, but this time giving it an ominous, gloomy, off-sounding tone appropriate to the occasion that inspired the series (Walpurgis Night).

In 3 diptychs I combine (oppose/intertwine) the symbols that reflect the dark side of traditionally understood femininity, and artifacts that signal the everyday dramas of the big city.

This is an ongoing project, so the series keeps being updated.

Each diptych is a unique copy, consists of 2 direct prints on acrylic glass, 19,5x19,5 cm each //
All photos are also available as prints

For any inquires, please, contact me.

Artist's statement

My work is usually created around a theme that I feel is capable of turning common beliefs and conformities upside down. My current medium is photography. Depending on the subject, I use a vintage analogue camera, a digital one or a simple smartphone lens. Other applications and mixed media materials help me to convey a sense of 'otherworldliness' to the subject or to highlight an unusual side of everyday things and situations.

I believe it's extremely important to keep your eyes and your mind wide open, to see the world more complicated than it seems at first glance. By creating these new layers in my pictures, I'm trying to lift the veil of reality and have a good laugh at its underlining.

My debut art project "Couch Searching" was created between 2021 and 2024. Further projects follow in the steps of the first one, with the main goal of juxtaposing the conventional beliefs with the essence of things.

Tatiana Bulanova

Tatiana (Tanya) Bulanova, born in Saratov, USSR (Russia) in 1987, is a Berlin-based photographer and visual artist. MA in Russian Literature, worked as an editor on various book projects. Her interest in photography grew as she was a student, first by exploring analogue photography with a second-hand Zenith, then moving on to the more technically advanced Pentax. As a freelance photographer, Tatiana focused on commercial portraiture. It wasn't until quite a while later that she switched to art projects. It happened in Germany, where Tatiana moved to in 2016. Since then she dedicated her photo and mix media works to commemorating the quirky side of the metropolis, addressing such topics as immigration, self-reinvention and questioning the very essence of art.

Photocredits:Tatiana Bulanova

All photo and video materials belong to their owners and are used for demonstration purposes only. Please do not use them in commercial projects.