The Emerging Mysticism in Masha Demianova’s Works

Featuring Masha Demianova Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski

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Masha Demianova is a photographer from Moscow, who is currently living and working in between Moscow and New York. Masha's photographs are an embodiment of symbolism, of a desire to reach something beyond through a feeling created on the scene. The works are a complicated expression of the character's existence in a specific moment. Natural elements such as wind, water, the moving of the grass, a purple maze covering the field or the low saturated reddish-yellow color of the desert's sand allow creating a feeling of a slight detachment and the hint of missing out on what is beyond.

We can only view as much, while the rest, the immense paysage, the beauty of the scenery remains outside of the scope of the image. Symbolic elements reveal the tiny portion of what is behind the curtain playing with the imagination. Masha’s drive is exposing and discovering parts of the natural landscapes, creating new cinematographic stories to captivate our minds. 

In this interview, we discuss the latest video shot and directed by Masha, Ariadna, for Kedr Livansky, the Paris National Opera purchasing several of her recent works, and the upcoming new projects. Masha speaks of the film directors who had a major influence on the body of her work, and of the complex layers of symbolism, she integrates into photography.

‘I’m not used to be proud of something, usually, things just make me feel good and motivate to move forward with what I do.’

Hi Masha, how is it going?

Hey, it's not bad.

What are your plans for this evening?

Acting as an alien woman in my friend’s skate movie, gonna have to wear weird face prosthetics.

What is the moment you’re the proudest of in your professional life?

I’m not used to be proud of something, usually, things just make me feel good and motivate to move forward with what I do. For example, a few of my works were purchased by the Paris National Opera this year, I was pleasantly surprised that people who work there know me and like my work.

Tell about your experience working as a photo shoot producer for L’Officiel.

It was awful but very helpful to the future.

Living in and experience two big metropolitan cities, Moscow and New York, what do you think is the main difference in the creative scene, and what is similar?

I guess Moscow is about 10 years behind, that’s the main difference :) And similarity probably is in the desire of many people in big cities to achieve something, show themselves and become a part of the local scene.

‘Fashion and commercial are for somebody’s purposes, even though it doesn't exclude creativity, but personal projects are for yourself, there are no limits.’

You have presented your work in numerous exhibitions in France, the UK, the US, South Korea. How is a creative process different when you compare the story you shoot for the exhibition versus a commercial project or a fashion editorial?

Never had an experience (hopefully, not yet) of creating a commissioned full body of work for the exhibit. All previous exhibitions included my finished works or some projects that I already created and wanted to show. I’m working on a few projects now, one book and one exhibit, and I can say that I never had such a pleasure working before. Fashion and commercial are for somebody’s purposes, even though it doesn't exclude creativity, but personal projects are for yourself, there are no limits.

Instagram, Pinterest, Tumbler are platforms in which the beauty of an image is a center of the shared content. The overwhelming amount of posts, the easiness of creating small communities around one’s work are apparent. How do you think a photographer can differentiate his works today and become recognizable? 

Just keep doing what you love the most, find your personal language, and make it strong.

‘I’m in no rush of making videos, because making it for money is not something that I would love to do and making it for myself is a process I took too seriously.’

The project you shot with Kedr Livansky appears as a story, a cinematic perspective on several days or hours in the life of. What was the narrative you built during the shoot, and where did it take place?  

There was no narrative, we were traveling around Georgia, shooting her video Ariadna, and I was taking pictures along the way.

You have also taken a perhaps new role in this project and directed a music video Ariadna in which you juxtapose the female nymph-like beauty with the historic nature, the old cave, and its ancient history. The experience of directing longer-lasting moments than in a photoshoot session is understandably very different. What was this experience like for you, and what did you learn about yourself in the process?   

That was for sure a new interesting experience, never shot a music video before, definitely stressful, especially while editing. I’m in no rush of making videos, because making it for money is not something that I would love to do and making it for myself is a process I took too seriously. After this video, the main thing I learned is 'always bring a Steadicam.'

‘I can probably call myself a symbolist, using methods of operating with symbols, learning them, and creating more and more complicated combinations, all those are very important parts of creation for me.’

There is a feeling of mysticism that comes from your perspective of the surrounding and this deep connection to nature. Is it a deliberate state of being you are trying to achieve in the frame or something that comes from the inner self and finds itself in the outcome?

Yes, I can probably call myself a symbolist, using methods of operating with symbols, learning them, and creating more and more complicated combinations, all those are very important parts of creation for me. There is a poem by a Russian philosopher and mystic Vladimir Solovyov 'Friend beloved, dost thou see not…' (Милый Друг), that is seen as a manifest of Russian Symbolism of the 19th century, it pretty much explains my feelings of the existence.

Recommend three films that had a certain impact on your work. What is special for you about those films?

The impact was made by integration of everything I ever watched. Instead of 3 films I can name 4 names: Béla Tarr, Robert Bresson, Leos Carax, and Andrzej Żuławski.

What’s next?  

Working on two print projects, one is a small photo book KAI, a visual love story about my ex-boyfriend, it will be released in October. Second is gonna be a book titled Hometown Series, a big travel project. This summer, I was visiting my girlfriends' hometowns and villages in Russia and Ukraine, and I was exploring environments where they were born, and how the person 'blooms' in his/her natural habitat. At the same time, I'm finishing my visual study about Athletic practices and their impact on female bodies and sexuality.