ALEXANDER CHEKMENEV IS THE UKRAINIAN PHOTOGRAPHER WHO RECENTLY RECEIVED
PUBLIC NOTICE AT HOME AS WELL AS ABROAD. HE IS A WINNER OF THE
EUROPEAN COMPETITION OF DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY VEVEY IN SWITZERLAND
FOR HIS SERIES UKRAINIAN PASSPORT. IN 2013, HIS BOOK DONBASS BECAME
A SELECTED TITLE OF THE GERMAN PHOTO BOOKS AWARD. HE ALSO RECEIVED
THE TITLE UKRAINIAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2013. HE HAS EXHIBITD IN
VARIOUS GALLERIES IN EUROPE AND RECENTLY HIS WORK RECEIVED ATTENTION BY
GALLERIES IN NORTH AMERICA.
CHEKMENEV WORKS AS A PHOTOJOURNALIST FOR THE DAILY VSEUKRAINSKIYE VEDOMOSTI.
IN HIS INDEPENDENT WORK, HE FOCUSES ON A SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY
PHOTOGRAPHY, MAINLY DOCUMENTING THE SOCIETY IN EASTERN UKRAINE WHERE
HE COMES FROM. A HUMAN IN HIS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, OFTEN ON A STREET, IS
IN THE CENTER OF HIS ATTENTION. HIS PHOTOGRAPHS REFLECT INSPIRATION BY THE
CLASSICAL DOCUMENTARY AESTHETICS, SUCH AS THAT BY ROBERT FRANK, ROBERT
DOISNEAU OR AUGUST SANDER. CHEKMENEV IS ATTRACTED BY EXCEPTIONAL CHARACTERS,
SOMETIMES EVEN COMIC IN THEIR EXPRESSION OR IN THE SITUATION THEY
FIND THEMSELVES IN. ANOTHER TIME THEY AROUSE RESPECT. IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE HUMANISTIC MESSAGE OF GREAT PHOTOJOURNALIST OF THE PAST, HE DEPICTS
THEM WITH THE DIGNITY THEY DESERVE. ALONG WITH THE KIND SNAPSHOTS AND
PORTRAITS (EASTER 1994-2013, FLEA MARKET 2003-2013, STREET PEOPLE LUGANSK
1994-1999, PEOPLE 1993-2014) WHICH ARE TO DOCUMENT CHARACTER AND ATMOSPHERE
OF PLACES FOR FUTURE, HIS PHOTOGRAPHS ALSO ACT AS A SOCIAL CRITICISM
(WAR IN DONBASS 2014, WAR-TORN 2014) OR REPORTAGE (EVROMAJDAN 2014). THE
PROJECT THAT STANDS OUT IS PASSPORT (1994-1995), A SIDE PRODUCT OF A COMMISSIONED
WORK. AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF INDEPENDENT UKRAINE, ALL CITIZENS RECEIVED A NEW ID – PASSPORT. TO PARALYZED
AND IMMOBILE PEOPLE, A PHOTOGRAPHER WAS SENT. HE STRETCHED A WHITE
CANVAS BEHIND THEIR HEADS AND TOOK A PICTURE OF A STANDARD PASSPORT FORMAT.
THE WHOLE SITUATION WAS SO ABSURD – EVEN THE PORTRAYED THEMSELVES
DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE USE OF THE PASSPORT WAS AS THEY WOULD OBVIOUSLY
NEVER LEAVE THEIR HOUSES – THAT IT LITERARY INVITED TO CAPTURE THE
SCENE OF PICTURES TAKING. THE IMAGES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
THE PROJECT DONBASS, WHICH PROBABLY RECEIVED THE MOST INTERNATIONAL
ATTENTION THANKS TO THE BOOK, REPRESENTS THE LONG-TERM SYSTEMATIC
DOCUMENTING, AIMING FOR AN AS COMPLEX MESSAGE AS POSSIBLE. CHEKMENEV
DECIDES BETWEEN BLACK-AND-WHITE AND COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY ACCORDING
TO THE CHARACTER OF A PARTICULAR PROJECT. IN THE MINING ENVIRONMENT,
NOWADAYS EXPERIENCING A DECLINE, THIS LIMITED COLOR SCALE FROM WHITE
TO BLACK CARRIES ALSO A PARTICULAR MEANING. IT COMPLETES AN IMAGE OF
HARDSHIP. HOWEVER, THE SERIES DOES NOT SEEM DEPRESSIVE OR MELANCHOLIC.
HONESTY OF CHEKMENEV’S MESSAGE DWELLS IN HIS PERFECT UNDERSTANDING
OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ABILITY TO PASS IT TO THE VIEWER. IT ENCOMPASSES
THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF THIS ALTERNATIVE EVEN BIZARRE LIFE WITH OWN
RULES WHERE COAL IS THE MAIN CURRENCY AND HARD WORK REGAINS ITS RESPECT.
PEOPLE ON HIS PICTURES LIVE THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES WITH EVERYTHING IT
BRINGS. THEY WORK, REST, EAT, WASH THEMSELVES, PARTY. THE DEPICTED ATMOSPHERE
RANGES FROM MEDITATIVENESS OF THE DOISNEAU-KIND TO THE HILARITY
OF WEEGEE. THE WHOLE SERIES REFLECTS A DISTINCTIVE POETIC ALLURE THANKS
TO REFINE SCENE FRAMING AND THOROUGH COMPOSITIONS. A PERSON WILLING
TO SURVIVE IS ABLE TO LABOUR AS WELL AS TO ENJOY HIS LIFE.
