Natalya Reznik, Caroline, Paris, 2019 © Natalya Reznik
19. Mai 2020
When we think about the future of photography, we are more concerned about the technical side of things, because it is an art based on technology. Technology is rapidly changing, art is responding to these changes. But it also responds to changes in our everyday reality itself – for example, who knew that, in the spring of 2020, and in times of a pandemic, the main photographic trend would be remote shooting via Skype and Facetime?
Photography is influenced not only by technological but also social and demographic trends. The trend to include and represent older models has been observed for a long time now – beautiful ladies with silver hair are rocking catwalks and are increasingly appearing on magazine covers. Old age is experiencing a new Renaissance in mass culture – the hashtag #greynaissance is one of the popular ones on Instagram.
Perhaps in 2050, we will be surrounded by elderly DJs, dancers and waiters. Supermodels of the future will be grey-haired divas. And this is not a surprise - the trend towards ageing population in Europe and Asia (the so-called “old world”) will continue. In 2017, I started working on my project The Old World. I photographed beautiful elderly women posing with dignity on their balconies, with the landscape or cityscape as a background. Their classical poses remind us of Italian painting of the Renaissance.
Today, in 2020, these photographs unexpectedly receive a new meaning though. Considered as a safe space today, balconies mean being visible to others, somehow still participating in public life, but from a safe distance. My images of elderly women standing on their balconies suddenly reflect our current living conditions more than I could have ever imagined it myself.
Natalya Reznik (geboren 1981 in Perm, Russland) lebt seit 2011 in Deutschland. Sie hat Design und Philosophie in Russland studiert und die Meisterklasse der Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie absolviert. In ihren Arbeiten verbindet Reznik Themen wie Alter, Familie, Verlust und Trauma mit einem konzeptuell-dokumentarischen Ansatz. Sie hat bisher drei Fotobücher publiziert (Secrets, 2014, Looking for my father, 2016, und Hope, 2019). Ihre Arbeiten wurden in Ausstellungen und Festivals auf der ganzen Welt gezeigt.