Creative Publishing and the Mykolaiv school of conceptual and art photography MYPH have jointly produced the photo book “Conceptual Photography”. The goal is to inform domestic and international audiences about contemporary conceptual photography in Ukraine by showcasing the work of its most prominent representatives. The book is authored by Liusiia Bondar, publisher at Creative Publishing, and Serhii Melnychenko, photographer and founder of the MYPH school of conceptual and art photography. The cover design was created by Kateryna Korolevtseva, and the main photograph was taken by Oksana Maister.
Serhii Melnychenko says that the collaboration between the publisher and MYPH partly began with Oksana Maister’s photograph of a jar of canned tomatoes, which was placed on the cover of the publication:
“This jar, in my view, is both authentic, and it really draws the eye. At the Ukrainian art festival in Berlin last year, Liusiia Bondar fell in love with this work and bought it from us. Overall, she purchased two photos. Essentially, that’s where the discussions about creating a joint book began. She said she wanted to prepare a publication about contemporary photography. I replied that it was great and suggested an idea—to show contemporary conceptual photography through the prism of MYPH students.”
“Conceptual Photography” brings together quite diverse themes, approaches, and genres of photography that the authors work with. These include digital photography, film photography, hand printing, instant photography, and more. The photographers demonstrate their artistic vision without being afraid to experiment in their creative work.
“There are many projects there that, one way or another, directly or indirectly, are connected with reflections and states the authors find themselves in during our present day—the full-scale invasion,”—Serhii Melnychenko explains. — “In particular, the book includes my project ‘War Tattoos’, which shows these events. Although we are not presented in the book as documentary photographers, through the lens of conceptual fine-art photography you can still see these moods.”
The selection of works is accompanied by an article by Roman Pyatkovka, a leading representative of the Kharkiv School of Photography, which discusses the universal creative technique of collage, the spontaneity and unpredictability of instant cameras, and experiments with alternative photographic methods.
Serhii Melnychenko says that this book is also a great opportunity for MYPH students to present themselves to the world and show their own work. In his words, photo books spread around the world faster than exhibitions do.
“That’s why there’s a higher chance that the books will reach the U.S. or Japan from Ukraine sooner, and that authors will be invited to exhibitions, fairs, festivals, or any other events,”—he says.
The book has already been printed and was presented to the public in Kyiv. The publication is bilingual: in Ukrainian and English. Anyone interested can purchase the photo book on the publisher’s website, as well as on other platforms and in bookstores: www.yakaboo.ua, www.book-ye.com.ua, Kniga.biz.ua, www.book.ua, etc.
This material was produced with the support of The Fritt Ord Foundation.
Credits:
Topic researcher, text author: Vira Labych
Photo editor: Viacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary editor: Yuliia Futei
