25A December 2021

Page 60

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.

60

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


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.