04.05.2023  •  Shop NEWS

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‘Visual poetry, both intimate and universal’ : SLAVA MOGUTIN publishes his long-term portrait project ‘Analog Human Studies’ as a book at MOPA London and an exhibition in New York

The main focus of Slava Mogutin’s work lies in the documentation of queer communities in New York, LA, Berlin and beyond. As the first openly gay journalist in Russia, he reported on the emerging queer culture in the 1990s at a time in when homosexuality was still considered taboo. His work is essentially about social studies, exploring human nature and sexuality in all its forms and facets.

‘Analog Human Studies’ is an ongoing project that spans two decades of Mogutin’s cinematic photography, from outtakes of his first monograph ‘Lost Boys’ (2006) to most recent commissioned and editorial work, or portraits and nudes taken in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, Paris, London, Madrid and beyond. The book is illustrated with handwritten poems and texts. Slava describes his genre as ‘visual poetry, both intimate and universal’ and presents us his personal selection here on GoSee.

Among the artists and personalities featured in the book are Maxima Cortina, Cassils, Christeene, Sophia Lamar, Brooke Candy, Kyle England, Boy Radio, Brian Kenny, Matthieu Charneau, Nick Theobald, Ron Athey, Dominic Johnson, Durk Dehner, Florian Hetz, Sean Ford, Andreja Pejić, Luke Abby, Jonah Almost, Isaac Powell, Nile Harris, German Lavrovsky, Jesse Thompson, Fernando Casablancas, and Pierre et Gilles.

When asked what fascinates him about photography as a medium of resistance and expression, he answers NUMERO BERLIN : I believe that journalism is more important now than ever. With freedom of the press under attack and censorship on the rise around the world, photojournalism is a medium that can change people’s lives for the better – by documenting real people and real events, telling the truth and standing up to the authorities.” And continues : “Just like 20 years ago when I was starting out as an artist, I still consider myself an outsider and anarchist. I don’t subscribe to existing status quos, hierarchies, or power structures. In Russia, the main danger to free speech and artistic expression has always been associated with the government. In the US, giant tech corporations dictate what content is allowed or not, using so-called ‘community guidelines’ to police artistic and queer communities. As a result, there’s a whole generation whose minds and creativity have been shaped by these rigid corporate guidelines. It’s a system that creates mediocrity and conformity; one step left or right and you’re going to be censored or banned.”

Born in Siberia, Slava Mogutin is a Russian-American multimedia artist, author and activist exiled from Russia for his outspoken queer writing and activism. A third-generation writer and self-taught photographer, he became the first Russian to be granted political asylum in the US on the grounds of homophobic persecution. Informed by his bicultural dissident and refugee experience, Mogutin’s work examines the notions of displacement and identity, pride and shame, devotion and disaffection, love and hate.

Mogutin is the author of seven books of writings in Russian, three monographs of photography and two illustrated collections of poetry published in the US, as well as numerous artist editions and zines. He’s the winner of the Andrei Bely Prize for poetry and the Tom of Finland Foundation Award for artistic achievement. He lives and works in Berlin, New York and Los Angeles.

#NewYork – Slava Mogutin : ‘Analog Human Studies’ is on view at the Bureau of General Services – Queer Division from 12 April through 4 June, 2023.

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin
Softcover, 172 pages, 21 x 29.7 cm, £40
Limited hardcover edition of 100 copies, £300
Published by MenOnPaperArt (MOPA), London

GoSee slavamogutin.com & menonpaperart.com/product-page/analog-human-studies

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

Analog Human Studies by Slava Mogutin

 
Slava Mogutin

Slava Mogutin

 
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