Radomska #2

Photo print, white border

9” x 12” (22.9 cm x 30.5cm)
12” x 18” (30.5cm x 45.7cm)
5” x 7.5” (12.7cm x 19cm)

"This photo is part of a larger series of my works that deal with the absence and constant search for a father figure in my life. During the past two years, I planned to publish my first book on this subject. The plans, of course, have changed.

It was taken in my native city Odessa. A typical moment is captured: my father, while showing me some spot on a nude beach, attempts to frighten me with a rubber spider. There was always this element of fright in my father’s humour – he always tried to scare me with some kind of props or fictional stories. This gesture resembles the overall character of our relationship – it is not an entirely authentic one.

I learned that a mine had exploded near this place a few weeks ago; thankfully, no one was hurt. Since that moment, however, Odessa no longer appeared to me as a serene and secure place.
Looking at it now, the habitual feelings about my city elude me; I can no longer grasp and restore my relationship with it. Yet I think the photo still emanates my hope that the feeling of dread will again become suspended." – Alina Radomska