I know them...Exhibition to the Igor Gnevashev’s memory

About

Even for these times, when Igor Gnevashev has started shooting –1964 – in his photos was, probably, too much truth, more than a titles, for which his has worked, could process. Neither “Soviet Union”, “Ogoniok” nor “Komsomolka” were ready to “unbrushed” Gnevashev’s heroes. And then someone of his friends brought Gnevashev into the cinema. Almost for twenty years he has worked for such magazines as “Soviet screen” and “Soviet film”. The stage directors, in whose filming he has worked, were Bondarchuk, Tarkovsky, Ryazanov, Shukshin, Mikhalkov, Soloviev and many other experts of native cinema. The major part of his creative work – is life of Russian cinema, filled with “emotions and intonations”. His photos from the film’s shootings became a sartorial statement of the future masterpieces.

Sometimes, as at “Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession” filming, the frame from the film anticipated stage director’s discovery. Many people remember how the redoubtable Tsar Ivan, was put away to the Soviet 1970th by the scriptwriter’s will, sits on the couch and fidgets with a
cassette tape recorder – that was uncommon and wanted by not only for those characters who came from 16th century. Meanwhile that episode appears in that film almost accidentally. The actor Yuriy Yakovlev rested between the cinema episodes, listening music with a tsar clothes and make-up. Photographer Igor Gnevashev could not resist and took a photo of that moment. The stage director Leonid Gaygay, adored improvisations, came into room in this moment and said “Now that’s we confirm!” Nowadays this photo is a book cover of “Icons 1960-1980” and the name of the photographer is included into the Anthology of native photo of 20th Century.

His longstanding work at the cinema got international fame and was honored with prize of professional guild of photographers and Union of journalists “Golden Eye of Russia” – for the photo chronicle of Russian cinema and for the contribution into Neo-Realism for the benefit of Russia.

Rolan Bykov called the “mastery of nature” Igor Gnevashev’s mastery.

A reporting, especially honest reporting, without staging, is a very difficult, but favorite Igor Gnevashev’s genre. Most of all his photos are similar to a film shot. Among the works, settle into the golden fund of native photography – famous photos from “Father and son” (1960), where the small boy embraced father’s leg as the most strength hold, “First born” (1963), where the father cuddles a newborn, walks by the country road, left behind all the bustling women.

Igor Gnevashev’s photos – is a life as it really is: without embellishment and flamboyant gloat – is the one, which has already settled in the photo art history.