“Each Book Holds A Part Of Me”
Artist Julia Borissova and inspiration that knows no limits
by Teresa Sutter
Through a variety of materials and techniques, Russian artist Julia Borissova combines analogue photography with drawings and collages. Her work is frantically controlled and often revolves around concepts of home and the role of the past in the present.
Her latest project J.B. About Men Floating In The Air is her fifth self-published art book. In this interview, Borissova speaks to her inspirations, chasing the ineffable through images and what it’s like to self-publish a book.
You say J.B. About Men Floating In The Air is about “every person’s dream to break the vicious circle of all kinds of constraints and to fly away to a distant unknown in search of unlimited freedom.” What does freedom mean to you?
Freedom is, for me, primarily expressed through the freedom of thought and movement. I am glad that creativity gives me such freedom, and I believe that inspiration knows no limits.
What role do analogue photographs play in your art? How do they help convey your story?
I shoot on film, because I like to see the result not immediately, but with some time delay. I am never a 100 percent sure of what I’ll discover. I love this surprise. And I’m fond of analogue photography, because it seems to me that it is alive, that it breathes.
What equipment do you use to shoot your own photographs?
I use an old rangefinder camera Revue SE 400 or SLR camera of the same brand on 35mm film, and for medium format I use a Pentacon Six and a Mamiya 7 II.
Besides analogue photography, you use various techniques and materials in your work. How does this variety help express your vision and ideas?
All these techniques are necessary for me to show the flow of time, the presence of the past in the present. I usually don’t create a real story. I’m looking for a way to give the viewer room for his own interpretation. I aspire to leave space in my work for something unseen, unsaid.
Also, I’m fascinated by the process of designing objects and inventing scenes for the shooting. I like unusual ways of creating an image. Sometimes I use different natural elements such as parts of plants or flowers, not only for collage. For instance, in my project DOM I grew plants in the shooting models.
How do approach a new project? And more specifically, what does the process of creating an image look like?
Inspiration comes to me from everywhere. Ideas are like a swarm of bees buzzing around me and I even have to brush them away. I choose the one that haunts me and that “stings” the most painful. Then I start thinking about how to begin and where this idea could lead me.
For the formation of my project concept I turn to my vision. At first, I imagine what kind of image I want to get. Then I make some sketches, write notes. Afterwards I decide what kind of equipment I’m going to use. Sometimes I don’t need any camera at all, just some found material. Maybe I will draw in the photos or use them for a collage. It all depends on the theme and how I want to present it.
One of your past projects, Address, is highly personal and is based on your own life, whereas the starting point for J.B. about man floating in the air is somebody else’s experience (the two pilots). Despite the contrast, do you feel there are still parallels between the two projects and all your work in general?
Through my creative process I get to know myself better. For that to happen, there is no need to turn to my own past, as I did in the project Address. In all my work, I refer to those themes that resonate with me, and it is possible to draw parallels between all of my projects. The history of my country, the concept of home and the relationship with the past are the main topics in my artistic practice.
Why did you choose leporello binding for the book J.B. about men floating in the air? How does it add to the overall artwork?
Since my story is about freedom I used a format that allows the viewers to choose how to browse the images and find their own ending in this story. It’s not just a concertina book; there are some gate folders that allow the book to be transformed into wings, and history literally comes alive.
Tell us a little more about your experience self-publishing books. What challenges did you face? Are there any tips you can share for anyone thinking of doing the same?
I like to create books, because I want my work to have a volume and to develop further. A book allows photos to turn into an artwork which has permanence and, just like music or a movie, has its own beginning and end. I think it is another way of working with time.
J.B. about men floating in the air is the fifth book that I self-published and I can’t say that it is easy to do. There are many points that you need to consider in advance and to think through at the initial stage. Therefore, when I’m working on a book, I pay attention to every detail.
As an independent author and publisher I don’t have to limit myself in the selection of materials and I can come up with creative design solutions. Also, I love to create things with my hands. I think that my hand-made work makes every copy unique.
Each book holds a part of me.
