25A
KATERINA CHRISTINA: EMERGING FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHIC TALENT
By Katherine Sloan
K
aterina Christina’s star is rising in New York City’s
carafe). Even so, we, the audience, immediately think of a young
artistic atmosphere. With a solid portfolio of
girl falling down a rabbit hole and having tea with the Mad Hatter.
work from all over the globe and a personal
It seems as if romance is the pervading theme in all of Katerina
history of survival in the books, she is proving
Christina’s work: whether it’s through animals in nature, classically
to succeed towards establishing herself as a bona fide professional
feminine accessories or a heart-shaped object, the world is a loving
artist. Her work harkens back to the masters of black and white
place despite everything. With her nude self-portrait “Surrender,” we
photography, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Brassaï while the
see a diffused visual in the shower, from the back, and the curves of
documentation of beating a benign brain tumor (with unflinching
her derriere.
self-portraits) captures a singular personal journey that could never be duplicated.
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Another graphic memorable and romantic image is that of an oversized ladies’ hat. It can almost be seen as a modern take
Katerina Christina’s photographs that range from African
on the classic black and white fashion photographs of the 1950s. Like
elephants (shot in Nairobi) with entwined trunks to steam pouring
every working photographer, it’s always a challenge to keep the work
from a city manhole in the shape of a heart are both romantic in
new and interesting, rather than prosaic. Her barebones black ink
the best way. The standouts from her “Wild Things” portfolio include
drawings are most affective when fashion is referenced and when
images of these elephants and a giraffe, even a bird in flight. She
comparisons to the likes of master legendary photographer, Alberto
seems to have the goods, with most of her photographs leaving
Rizzo can be made (mainly his ’70s abstract fashion silhouettes
an impression of something special that is captured, the essence of
published in Harper’s Bazaar). Her photographs tell many tales
an emotion rather than just a graphic object. They convey a bit of
outside of fashion as well, with works that fall into series as disparate
whimsy found in two very different natural and urban jungles.
as “Street,” “Studio,” “Youth Hood” and “Wild Things.”
The artist’s work is infused with delicate touches that are as
“Youth Hood” mostly depicts children joyously playing—
romantic as they are nostalgic. With a photograph entitled “Through
mainly on the beach—while balancing on surfboards, running
the Looking Glass,” she is obviously paying homage to Lewis Carroll’s
in the waves and zipping past on scooters. There is a turbulence
classic 1871 children’s novel where Alice walks through a mirror (even
of abstraction complete with bodies in motion against beautiful
though the photographic result is actually of an upside down coffee
backdrops, from Ipanema to Carmel, Manhattan to Paris. She
25A Metropolitan Magazine | Metmagny.com
