Photo series

REFLECTIONS

Tatiana Bulanova

This project is a meditation on the multi-layered reality that surrounds us. Recognising the impossibility of complete and objective comprehension, I emphasise the ephemeral nature of the external world by choosing glass, mirrors and water as additional layers. Reflected, blurred, refracted in them, familiar objects of the big city acquire a new, fourth dimension. So, it becomes even more difficult to distinguish what is a physical reality and what is a surreal phantom, a product of one’s consciousness.

To catch the elusive reality, in this series I used two analog cameras: one a 50-year-old 35mm and another 2000’s camera - as well as black and white film. In this way the access to the subject becomes even more troublesome: to get to the essence of the image, the viewer has to overcome not only the multiple surfaces through which the object has entered the frame, but also the medium itself, which obscures the picture, making it less clear. However, exactly this effort makes it more rewarding for the viewer who manages to get to the initial subject.

This is an ongoing series that for now consists of 12 images, with a prospect of expanding.

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.