Viewing a photography exhibition in the Tate Modern today proved extremely thought provoking about a subject that is perhaps overseen slightly in the education of young people today. The work of Boris Mikhailov is being exhibited in the Tate currently, featuring two photographic installations in one room. The most prominent one of the two is named Red, and depicts photographs arranged very particularly of Soviet Ukraine between 1968 and 1975. The photographs are images of Ukraine taken by the artist in his hometown of Kharkov and feature a wide range of subjects from the streets of the city to the people in it.
When the installation is first approached, the initial thoughts are immediately the prominence of the colour red in every photograph. The photographs are arranged on the wall in a very particular way which as you read the accompanying information you realise is very deliberate and significant. There is the colour red in every photograph, from very small, almost unnoticeable amounts to almost the whole photograph being red. Within the installation, the amount of red changes according to the placement of the photograph, with the most red being in the centre, to the lesser amounts around the edges. This creates a fascinating visual effect and draws your eyes simultaneously to so many areas of the wall, which can be a little frustrating almost but provides quite an overwhelming sense of intrigue. This encourages the viewer to really spend time looking at and understanding the photographs and the history and meanings behind them. Some of the photographs are very graphic and poignant and make the viewer feel empathetic towards the people who lived through some horrific conditions under the Soviet government.
One of the most thought-provoking images depicts a child waving the flag of the Soviet Union. His facial expression and stance convey him with an innocence and this is furthered by the appearance of a set of swings behind him. He is very young and one cannot help but wonder why he has the flag, but perhaps the most poignant element is the contrast between the innocence of the young boy, and the violence, horror and death associated with the Soviet flag. The other image that can be found particularly disturbing is that of a woman lying naked in what seems to be a net hammock. The net is digging into and restricting her body in a way that almost portrays a hock of meat that has been tied. The woman's face and head is not visible, almost objectifying her and her body as if she is unimportant and has no identity. This could reflect the millions of deaths that occurred during the Soviet Regime, in the way that the people were killed regardless of who they were, but simply because of what they believed or did. This is furthered by the violent nature of the photograph and the pain that the net looks like it must be inflicting on the woman's body.
The colour red is used in the photographs as a 'symbolic reminder of the unescapable presence of the Soviet Regime' in Ukraine at this time. Ukraine was developing well into the 1960s, improving its economy and industry in an attempt to rival the West. However this did not go unnoticed by the Soviet Union, whose main leaders in Moscow became concerned with Ukraine's ideas of 'localism', preferring local interests over all-union interests (Orest, 2000). The idea of Ukraine being economically self-assertive did not appeal to the Union, and so it set about making sure that the country knew where it stood towards the end of the 1960s, and so the cities of Ukraine experienced hard times once more. The Soviet regime was never far from the people of Ukraine's minds and this is portrayed in the collection of photographs by Mikhailov.
The installation brings forward ideas of colour significance and associations which are clearly an underlying concept in this piece of art and contribute to the dramatic effect that the collection has visually on the viewer. Even today, red is significant in Ukraine as it still has connections to Soviet times and the use of the colour is being heavily restricted by the government. It also conveys ideas of violence, passion and strength which are all very relevant themes within the subject of the photographs. It is amazing to realise the effects that simply the symbolism of a colour can have on an entire nation and colour symbolism is something that could be considered and explored much further.
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