Dreams becoming reality is a familiar concept in a creative field like fashion yet photographer Elizaveta Porodina is taking things deeper than surface level. Porodina brings her surreal dreamscapes into corporeal form with her latest book project, UN/MASKED, 160 pages of the artist’s visual work, including a forward from art design legend himself, Fabien Baron. A trained clinical psychologist, Porodina’s work is an introspective glimpse into her subject’s psyche and with elements of repetition like her signature shadows and broken mirrored reflections, Porodina aims to take viewers to a different dimension. “I’m always curious about that Other Side when I meet people. What person are we carrying outwards and what hides behind the mask we all wear?” We spoke with Porodina about how she found her inspirations, the process of creating UN/MASKED, and returning to her true creative calling.
You originally trained as a clinical psychologist. What inspired you to go into photography?
Since I can remember, I have wanted to be an artist. I picked up pencils, watercolors, ink, anything I could lay my hands on and painted colorful birds, weird mythical creatures, deformed bodies, then self-portraits of myself in hellish, apocalyptic scenarios. The decision to study and train as a psychotherapist was a moment in my life where I felt lost, like my life was out of focus and I couldn’t find my way back on the track. I spent years in university and later, working in psychiatry, studying other people’s irrational behavior, only to return to my true calling. To express what I feel on paper, in words, sounds, and colors, is the only way I can survive. It’s the only reason why my life makes sense. The connection to the muse is incomparable. It gives me a rush of adrenaline and a feeling of being fulfilled.
Your newest book titled Un/Masked could seem like an apt nod to our current pandemic state, but what was your reason for naming it that? What does unmasking reveal?
In fact, I didn’t think about this correlation at all before you mentioned it! laughs In the past months, I was reconnecting with the psychiatry work of Carl Gustav Jung and one of his core teachings is about the human “shadow.” It’s the part of the mind that one tries to avoid and doesn’t connect with for different reasons. I’m always curious about that Other Side when I meet people. What person are we carrying outwards and what hides behind the mask we all wear? I feel like my best photographs precisely capture what was previously veiled and masked, so I chose the title.
What is it about shadows, mirrors, and reflections that bring them continuously into your work?
The best description for these elements would be “ritual tools.” The aim is for my muse, myself, and my team to create an entrance to a different dimension. I strive to unveil a hidden room in the person’s mind and shine a light on it. For that, it helps to change the usual perspective or the “regular” way one is used to looking at things.
How long did it take to put together your new book, what was the process of image selection, and what common thread was essential to convey?
When me and Nadine Barth, the publisher of UN/MASKED, decided to pair up for this project, I was in the middle of setting up my solo exhibition OKHA at Fotografiska Stockholm. My mind was so focused on the curation that it felt logical to create the book based on the last three years. The shooting process is always very intense, experimental, and emotionally charged for me. Somehow, the images are always depictions of a personal experience, almost like pages of a diary. In a way, the book strives to share the rollercoaster of these emotions channeled through my wonderful muses’ faces, bodies, and energy. We focused on only leaving images that strike the viewer during the selection process.
When it comes to model casting, what do you look for in a muse?
Since my biggest interest is personality, I look for a human who is ambitious, curious, courageous, and intelligent. A person who belongs to the stranger side of life is playful and big-hearted. In a way, this person needs to be interested in acting — experimenting in general, unafraid of trying and failing, then standing up and failing better. I want us to play a game of ping pong — pushing the person to try out and them pushing me further. I’m drawn to androgynous people and people who paint outside the gender stereotypes. Finally, a big nose is always a plus :)
Surreal artists like Man Ray, Alexander Rodchenko, and František Drtikol have been listed as inspirations of yours. What is it about their past work that informs your present direction?
I feel the work of these artists, among many others that inspire me equally, has a perfect melange of sober, grand, and striking compositions – whether it’s a big feeling expressed in one word, a strong element of magic or a somewhat sinister component. The masters of that era of photography were very connected to their photographic craft’s magical and spiritual aspect – the appearance of an image out of nowhere, the imprint of light, a capture of non-physical entities. Experimenting and pushing the craft further with each session is another reason for me to be inspired by these artists.
When looking at your trajectory as an artist, what is something you would have wanted to tell your younger self?
I would say to her that you have to become obsessed, enamored, and hyper-focused. You have to open your mind to all possible experiences that could further inspire you. You need to speak your mind more often, sooner. You need to figure out what you want and then manifest it with all your willpower. You need to believe in yourself but not how others tell you to, unconditionally or blindly. You need to believe all the hard work, experiments, and challenges you put yourself through, have been for a reason. You need to be able to leap when life asks you to leap. You need to breathe when nothing is to be done and let go.
How did collaborators like Fabien Baron aid your creative process?
I will be forever grateful to people like Fabien Baron and mentors that I met along my way. Through these people’s will to teach and share their knowledge and experiences, I built the confidence to conjure the worlds I was seeking. Sometimes, simple words of encouragement from a person you admire are enough fuel to keep going. It can be an excellent meditation to think about what people like him have built up and how much thought, precision, willpower, and focus they invested in the business.
What do you want audiences to feel when they see these images?
I want them to feel. The older I grow, the more I realize how precious and invaluable the moments of pure raw emotion and inspiration are and how rare they can become. I want my images to be a sort of oasis, maybe a place of comfort and visual delight, and finally, a mirror.
