The photos of Belarusian photographers were put up for sale at the famous auction house "Sotheby's" at first time

The photos of Belarusian photographers as a part of the collection of East European photographs were put up for sale at the famous auction house "Sotheby's".

The collection includes 8-9 Belarusian names. These photos were created in the late 1980's - 1990's when the Belarusian Photo was particularly appreciated.

The news that their photos were exhibited at one of the world's most prestigious auction for Belarusian authors was unexpected. "Our photos now live their own lives. And if it were not the case, we could not have known that they appeared at "Sotheby's", - said Sergey Kozhemjakin.

It is important to say that the Belarusian photographers have never taken part at such auctions as "Sotheby's".

The history of these images refers to the 1990s when Belarusian photographers actively exhibited in the West. Unknown collector from New York consistently collected Soviet, Russian, Baltic, Eastern European pictures for many years. The collection includes such well-known names as Komar Milamid, Boris Mikhailov, Igor Mukhin, Vladimir Kupriyanov. Some Belarusian names are also in the collection: Galina Moskalyova, Igor Savchenko, Ivan Petrovich, Sergei Kozhemyakin, Alexander Slyusarev, Vladimir Shakhlevich.

The personality of the collector primarily links this collection. When a person gathers a collection, he has a kind of concept and ideas, and he consistently chooses the images that go to his collection.

"Currently this collection was presented by someone unknown at ”Sotheby's“ - says the photographer. - There is an assumption that the collector died and his family put the collection up for the auction. But this is just my version."



The photographers found out the fact that the works were on display at "Sotheby's" by accident – with a help of a comment of trades curator under the publication about Sergei Kozhemyakin in the rubric "Meet a Legend." The curator searched for the authors to clarify the necessary technical details, names, number of copies of works. The authors are not bidders. But for them it is very important that their photos appeared at the global art market.

Picture Rating, so-called statement, is accumulated potential of photographs. Experts estimate collectively author's fame, famous works, getting his works in the history of photography, so it is a set which forms the appraised value.

Sergey Kozhemyakin's photos were estimated at an average of 2,000 to 8,000 pounds. The lowest estimate of works in the collection is 1,000 pounds, maximum - 80,000 (1,000 pounds is equal to $1,519).

Kozhemyakin's photos presented in this collection were made in the late 1980's - early 1990's. On the Soviet space Belarusian Photo was very appreciated at that time. The club "Minsk" was the center of photo-events so the authors are familiar to each other since that time.

Sergei Kozhemyakin created an interesting series which featured pedestal of Lenin. "We were 30 years old and lived in one country, raised on the some values, the ideals of the old cliche - says the author. - The photo shows the changing of Lenin's monument."

According to Sergei Kozhemyakin he used the principle of the sequence: the same image is printed with different densities and it changes from white to black. It shows the transformation of the relationship to the past. Now these photos have rather historical value.

"Unfortunately we always lose what we have, - says Kozhemjakin. - Photos are not considered to be a serious art, and we do not have specialists who can evaluate it. Even the museum are afraid of working with photos. "

Not so long ago the Russian Museum Rossfoto included Belarusian photos of the 1990s in the collection of the museum in St. Petersburg.

Materials: gazetaby.com

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