Photogravure for True Art-Lovers!

Photogravure for True Art-Lovers!

affects us indirectly – not with a solid and striking impression like a picture, but with each of its elements separately. The gravure can be “read” only gradually, stroke by stroke, line by line. This lets the engraving use more limited means than painting does – thus, for example, color is rarely involved in the image of a gravure, it all comes down to a line, a spot, a tone. That is why there are conventions in the engraving, it is more figurative.
The comparative convention of the engraving becomes its main, fundamental element. It collects something significant, typical, it tends to generalize, and it demands rather understanding than feeling from a viewer. One could even say that the painting mostly depicts, the engraving rather expresses something. In addition, looking at such a famous monument to Hetman Bohdan Khmelnitsky, the bell tower and the dome of St Sophia, every time one can see something different, invent, and, perhaps, rethink such a familiar image.
This is an amazing photo that captures the spirit of ancient times! It seems that this is the day in July 1888, when the monument had just appeared on the Sofia Square in Kiev, and it will only become one of the symbols of Kiev. By the way, it was built in honor of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Kievan Rus’.
One urban legend says that when the monument was already in its place, it turned out that the horse was turned to St. Michael’s Cathedral by its tail, and that was impolite. Therefore, the pedestal was deployed, and the hetman’s mace, which had been intended to threaten Poland, was directed somewhere to Sweden…
This is an extremely dynamic composition! One can feel it in the photoengrave as well. The moment when the rider stops his hot and reeking horse is quite symbolic: a courageous commander seems to stop his violent motion to point to the north-east for the people who gathered in the square (it was on the Sofia Square where on December 23, 1648 the people of Kiev met Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Cossack regiments after the victory at Pilyavtsi). The powerful taming of a horse, the resolutely raised right hand with a mace, the face turned to the people make one feel the invincible power of a strong personality.
It’s an amazing engraving made by a real master! It was created by Valeriy Tkachenko in the studio Stamperia d’Arte Edi-Grafica Firenze with the help of the unique equipment, produced in 1900, under the supervision of masters. Today this equipment belongs to the grandchildren of Filippo Becattini, who own this studio, and it is considered not only a family heirloom, but also the pride of their collection.
The photographs of the engraving are rare as well: there are twenty-two of them. Each work is signed and numbered, and it is needless to say that when becoming an element of interior space, such photo work will become its enviable decoration!
ABOUT US
Valerii Tkachenko, from Kiev, Ukraine, specializes in contemporary fine art photography that captures historical moments of common life. His work includes human subjects and urban landscapes, and he focuses on street and action photography as well as black and white images. Tkachenko aims to elicit an emotional response in those who view his work. To see the gallery of his photos and keep updated on showings or schedule an appointment, please view ValeriiTkachenkoPhoto.

Amazing Nature in the Photographs by a Ukrainian Artist Valerii Tkachenko

An Exhibition of Fine Art Photography

We are living in a cramped, stuffy and monotonous urban anthill. Here everything is subject to relentless, accelerating pace of monotonous daily life. Thus, we begin to lose something important, connecting us with nature. And we forget how much inspiration and vitality it can give us…

Most of us are caught up by the circumstances and the eternal time pressure. We can see fantastic natural views so rarely! We begin to lose the value and understanding of our being as a part of nature, our involvement in the environment of our beautiful planet. And yet, as the classic said, if God created all these beauties, isn’t it all for people who should admire them?

Whatever it is, the modern pace of life does not allow us to draw inspiration and peace from the beauty of nature. We have no time to sit in the evening express, get out of the train on some small station and bring our thoughts and emotions in order staying in the woods for some time. We do not have time to even imagine such an adventure! And the less time we spend alone with nature, the more bland and tasteless life becomes, the less its voice resonates in our hearts. We are caught up in kind of modern urban samsara…

Inspiring photos will change it!

Lake Bled Slovenia

Of course, a man has built an anthill for himself, and it is ready to fall on its builder’s head. However, unlike the ant, people figured out how to keep the perfect safe forever and how to draw inspiration from memories of the most incredible and breathtaking scenery that will never fade.

People invented the photography at the beginning of the XIX century, but now it has reached the highest point of its development! Beautiful scenery, imprinted on the photographic paper, is the perfect proof of it! A skilled Ukrainian photographer Valerii Tkachenko really does perfect photos!

Whether it is a clear water surface of a beautiful Slovenian lake of Bled or interlacing of idyllic Tuscan hills, lost in a haze of light – in both cases, Valerii Tkachenko presented a range of unique experiences that a person sitting in the square and heartless office box is not able to feel himself.

But what happens if such glyphs of memory will appear in that box? What would people, clamped by the city from all sides, experience looking at the photos taken by Valeriy Tkachenko? They would feel a sense of freedom. Not physical freedom, of course, but a much higher freedom, the freedom of spirit and imagination! Just free your mind; therefore, we are able to come up with something new, even more incredible, than something that nature could prompt us. And, perhaps, looking at these detailed landscapes, we shall subconsciously find even more perfect way to keep our memories and share them with people.

Psychology tells us that our environment, everything what we see every day, gives a very serious impact on the working capacity and creative thinking. And the most recreative effect on the human psyche is performed by open landscapes: two photographs taken by Valeriy Tkachenko undoubtedly confirm this – they comprise all the fullness of space! It is achieved not only by the great skills of the photographer, but with the unique printing technology as well: the image is mounted into an aluminum base, which is then covered with a matte or glossy acrylic glass.

The spectator, who has these photographs, probably will feel the presence effect and the desire to hold a look at these pictures a little longer. It takes only a few minutes to dive into the magical world of these photos, and you will feel great relief from the burden of modern consant urban pressure. Perhaps in these landscapes, you can find a non-standard solution that will bring your business to the top? Who knows, maybe this is your door to a wonderland…

These photographs were exhibited in New York Agora Gallery, they are signed, numbered and certificated. There are only eleven of them, and just a small amount once again confirms that real art is unique.

These are just two small fragments of nature imprinted Valerii Tkachenko. To familiarize with the other pictures come to our website https://www.valeriitkachenkophoto.com and https://www.saatchiart.com/account/profile/665899 and http://www.rps.org/member/gallery/valerii-tkachenko/Man-and-the-world-around and American photographic artists   These works are quite small – the size of 100 x 75 cm – but the feeling that occurs during their contemplation is really great!

Dear Valerii,

RPS DIG Annual Members Projected Image Competition 2015

Congratulations! You had 2 images accepted into the Exhibition out of the 4 you entered. Your individual results are shown below.

The full results have now been published on the Exhibition website, at http://photoexhib.co.uk/rps/results-2015/results.htm. It contains details of all the accepted images together with the award-winning images.