Following article is based on impressions of art critic G.Malaushkina after exhibition "Body Language" by Igor Amelkovich.
Human opportunities to interpret something beyond visible are tremendous. This phenomenon is presented in all genres of the fine arts. It is an everlasting study of the new methods of the world interpretation which sometimes are revealed to us as a sudden understanding. It is not just an imprinting of the nude. It is not just a reminding that everything of the naked body is worth admiration. It is an appeal to corporeity as the means of interpretation and development of the world.
We come naked into this world. Then our body is clothed with garments and senses, and cultural codes that makes body language speak obtusely, dimly and false under their weight.
The "Body Language" exhibition of the photographer Igor Amelkovich is the reminding that body has its own handle and plastique, architectonics and expressiveness; this exhibition is a kind of a plastic performance, a story about forms and lines.
All the exhibits have been created in the period from August to December 2002; they were filmed b&w with one light source. All models are unprofessional. The photographer himself told that he intended to show the natural beauty and expressiveness of a body.
Igor "creates" an individual plastic line for his every model. Like a composer he varies and arranges pose patterns and movements in different combinations, rhythms, situations, and theatricalizes new and new "stage" compositions.
The space of his exhibits is objectless or not loaded with objects (podium, furnishing, a thing) which makes body language and light aura to be the main characters of his plastic performances signifying this or that posture, emotion or feeling.
The things of the composition are either "estrange" (their task is to intensify contrasts, to confront living-nonliving, "warm"-"cold", aggressive-fragile, natural-artificial and to elicit the expressiveness of corporal handle and plastique); or "having characters" whose presence already "directs" the performance. The limited use of means and techniques is a conscious choice, enabling to integrate different exhibits into one sense-space.
The plastic solo of the work "Body # 18" with the light spots and shadows glancing the body, and emphasizing the modeling of sculpturally expressive back, or plastic line of "Olympia # 6" and "Olimpia # 5" with the charming musicality of the flowing pleats of a translucent damp drapery furnishing nobly calm in sensing its beauty body, creates a rare in its artistic perfection figure of winningly expressive monumental elegance which is close to the ancient sculptural traditions. A peculiar kind of a curtsey to the modern style is the "Shape Pictures" series with its irrational logic and elastic expressiveness of a graphic silhouette; "Body # 17" depicts an invitingly fearful collision of elastic, living, smooth and warm flesh with an estrange metal hostility; "Olympia # 3" mystifies and "The Naked with Chains" and "The Naked with an Object #3" are on the verge of Master and Slave exercises.
We come naked into this world. Then our body is clothed with garments and senses, and cultural codes that makes body language speak obtusely, dimly and false under their weight. Are we ready to such an exposition, to such an uncovering of the inmost secrets? Are we ready to hear the body language? Are we ready to speak body language?!
Art Critic G. Malaushkina, 2003
