VLADIMIR GLYNIN | 1975 (MOSCOW, RUSSIA)

Lives and works in Moscow

Education

1985-1993Moscow Academic Choreography School, Moscow

Biography

1993starts working in Bolshoi Theatre as a ballet dancer

1996starts photographing behind the scenes of Bolshoi Theatre

1998begins cooperating with «VOGUE Russia» as a fashion photographer

2001leaves Bolshoi to continue working as a fashion photographer. Beginning of cooperation with «L’Officiel Russia», «GQ Russia», «Harper’s Bazaar Russia» and other leading fashion magazines.

1998-2008 works on creating advertisement campaigns for fashion, auto and jewellery brands, theatrical posters and art-calendars

2008Completes his first art project «Swan Lake» and solo exhibition in ARMA Art Space. From that moment, at his peak in fashion photography, Glynin slowly moved away from fashion photography and started his path in art

In his artistic heritage there is more than ten solo exhibitions. His works were exhibited in various galleries and museums in London, Paris, Zurich and Moscow, among which are prestigious MAMM (Multimedia Art Museum Moscow), Moscow Museum of Contemporary Art and The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. Today Vladimir Glynin cooperates with RuArts gallery, Orekhov Gallery, Heritage gallery, as well as with a number of independent curators. He is actively involved in group projects and international art fairs: «CosMoscow» and «Vienna Fair». Glynin is contributing his art to various auction houses, such as Phillips, Sotheby’s and Christie’s. In 2013 during the photography auction in Phillips New-York, series of 6 works from «Dream» project were sold.

Vladimir Glynin is regularly being invited to give lectures on art of photography at the British Higher School of Art and Design, on courses of modern art of «Phillips Education», at The Lumieres Brothers photography center and other art institutions. He supports socially significant projects and regularly participates in charity auctions.

Vladimir Glynin is a Member of professional artists union of the Russian Federation.

Exhibitions

  • 2018RGB, solo exhibition / Orekhov Gallery / Moscow
  • 2017CONTEMPORARY RUSSIA, group exhibition / ROSIZO / Moscow
  • 2016GRAVITY, solo exhibition / RuArts Gallery / Moscow
  • 2015BALANCED, solo exhibition / PROJECT 3,14 / Moscow
  • 2014ABSTRACT, solo exhibition / 10th Moscow International Photo Biennale, RuArts Gallery / Moscow
  • 2013RE-CONSTRUCTIVISM, solo exhibition / 8th Moscow International Biennale ‘Fashion & style in photography 2013’, Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery / Moscow
  • 2012RE-CONSTRUCTIVISM, solo exhibition / Barbarian Art Gallery / Zurich
  • 2011PROPHETIC DREAM. ON THE EDGE OF REALITY, solo exhibition / Parallel program of the 4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary art, V-art Gallery / Moscow
  • 2011ZOO, solo exhibition / Project 3.14 / Moscow
  • 2009GOFMAN, solo exhibition / Triumph Gallery / Moscow
  • 2009DREAM, solo exhibition / RuArts Gallery / Moscow
  • 2007SWAN LAKE, solo exhibition / ARMA Art Space / Moscow
  • 1998THE UPPER STAGE, solo exhibition / 2nd International month of photography in Moscow 1998 Photo-Biennale / M'АRS gallery / Moscow
  • 1997BALLET PHOTOGRAPHY, solo exhibition / Angelicos Gallery / Moscow
  • 1997WORLD OF SENSUAL THINGS, group exhibition / M'АRS Gallery & The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts / Moscow

Statement

‘My ballet background gave me a deeper understanding of beauty and infinite expressiveness of a human body and raised love towards art in general. As a result of years of being a fashion photographer, I not only gained priceless experience, that now helps me with creating my works, but also opened the world of art photography. That period taught me how to work in a team and made me appreciate talents of those, who to this day continue to bring my projects to life.

During the first few years of my interest in photography, I was highly influenced by academic art, classical ballet and music. Soon my interest was captured by contemporary choreography, modernist architecture and pillars of Russian vanguard - Kasimir Malevich, Ilya Chashnik, Lubov Popova, Ivan Klyn and abstract paintings of Aleksander Rodchenko, as well as by works of Bauhaus member and extraordinary Hungarian artist - Laszlo Moholy Nagy.

After a period of fascination with artistic experiments of the early twentieth century, I discovered abstract expressionism of the 50s, the brightest representative of which, for me is Mark Rothko. He is one of those few artists who had a strong influence on me with their work, comparable with the effect of works of Malevich. Both of these authors are perceived by me as artists-philosophers who found their own visual language and true artistic purpose. Both communicate in the language of abstraction about the Cosmos.

Looking back and reflecting on my previous works, I notice that my attachment to the use of a human body as a main expressive tool gradually weakens, while unacceptability of manipulating the attention of the viewer through social, political and other similar aspects in contemporary art, deeper and deeper immerses me in the world of abstract photography. Question of pure forms and colours today interests me a lot more than narrative and figurativeness, and although abstraction is more difficult to understand, in my opinion, it is the most honest form of visual art. Still, some spontaneity of emergence of ideas for my projects, I believe, relates to an unwillingness to limit and label myself with styles and directions. Despite months of concept development and laborious preparation for shooting, while in the filming process, I work intuitively, appealing more to the subconscious.

My works are my language in which I communicate with the world around me. They reflect the way I perceive the world and they are what I am so passionately willing to share.’

Vladimir Glynin