Interview Odyssey

by alexander berezkin
2019
This is another interview from the "Our Heroes" series.

This time, Alexander Berezkin talked with a photographer - Jurij Treskow about whether the photographer is friends with models, how he got his first order, and why young photographers don't need advice.

Jurij Treskow: You have to make some kind of introduction, for what and for whom is this everything?

Alexander Berezkin: This is a conversation with you and me. (Laughs) Then, if there's something worthy, we'll publish it.
How have you been?

J.T: I survived.

A.B: How about New York?

J.T: New York was wonderful. I really enjoyed it this time. I spent a month and a half there, and it felt like I was doing it all in one breath, like never before. There were many different events. Eventually, you release your grip on the city and instead of fighting against it, you relish in the sharp turns. Very sharp turns. Before, I wanted to find peace and tranquility there, where it didn't exist in the first place.

A.B: Okay, how long has your search been going on?

J.T: Diving deep right away, hm? No, there was no initial anxiety. When you arrive in a city that is bustling with activity and exudes strength and power and you're trying to find a quiet creative harbor for yourself, then you clearly don't need to be in New York.

Well, as much as I could, I stayed in Williamsburg. But it's like being in a state of schizophrenia. You live in one place, but you see or want to see everything differently around and inside of you. And it quickly bounces you back. And it can hurt.

A.B: Where did you live when you moved from Minsk? You lived in Paris, right?

J.T: From what I can tell, Alexander was well-prepared for the interview.(Laughs)
Let's start with the fact that I was born in Polotsk and lived in Brest until I was 17. Then I went to Germany with my parents, to a small town near Frankfurt.

A.B: Is your dad a military man?

J.T: What military man in 2001 will move from Belarus to Germany, why? No, my dad's jewish roots played a significant role in us getting documents to move to Germany. I was in my teenage maximalism period and then Germany happens.

I hope Alexander prepared well for the interview, because the next question will be…

A.B: When did you start taking photographs, Jurij?

J.T: Great question! Let me deflect with a question of my own. When did you start taking interviews, Alexander? He showed me a finger. Normally, that's where the interview ends. (Laughs)

A.B: The first interview I did was with Ira Lobanovskaya. It turned out to be a mess. But you know what's cool? When you bring people from different universes together, and then...

J.T: And everyone talks about each other in the end…

A.B: Do you remember your first job where you got paid for your photos?

J.T: I can't recall my very first shoot, but I do remember getting my first big paycheck. It's a funny story.

In Berlin, I was shooting backstage for a magazine called "Vsya Europa." I guess a criminal guy who opened the fashion magazine to make himself a little more legitimate. He became the editor-in-chief and did interviews with his celebreties and others. Just like Alexander, through interviews trying to legalize himself in the creative elite. (Laughs)

They brought a photographer from Israel. There were many assistants of different kinds on the set. Big production. I took some backstage images and some of them were so good that they took them into the final selection and printed them in the magazine. Of course, to the Israeli photographer's hysterics. I didn't care much. My first editorial.

After that, the editor-in-chief said that she had a friend who is a big producer of really cool, elite jackets and suits. Patrick Hellmann. They wanted to shoot an image campaign and offered me something like €950 for the whole production. It was some year in the 2000s...

A.B: 2001?

J.T: No, it was either 2006 or 2007. For me, when I was still studying and receiving a scholarship at a German university, it was big money.

I needed to shoot with a studio lightning. I had no clue how it works.
So I invited a friend of mine - Robert to assist me. In return later he pulled me in on another paid shoot where I was his assistant. 1:1.

But I couldn't get the money right away because it was all official, and I had to register as a photographer in Germany.
That was the driving force for me to register myself officially as a photographer.

A.B: Okay. Another question. When did you start photographing girls?

J.T.: At very first, I photographed dew in the mornings and various dust particles. My preference was macro photography. I was amazed and excited.

There was a website - Skill.ru, where I uploaded my works and there was a system of comments and ratings. I was one of the first registered users, because I knew the creator. It was a very peculiar online community back then. And this motivation to post photos and receive feedback from people was very exciting, it was probably around the year 2002-2003 or maybe slightly earlier.

And it was really cool for expanding your horizons and communicating with people. It sounds crazy, but back then it was thrilling.

And so, I posted all kinds of pictures. And at that time, when there were rankings, I was in the top 10, but not because of the quality, but probably because of my methodicalness and persistence. Gradually, these photos led me to the realization that if you photograph people, you get a higher ratings.

While in Brest, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who worked as a fashion stylist and had connections to models from the "Elephant" modeling agency. Out of his friendship, he told me of a few exceptionally gifted girls and proposed arranging photoshoots with them.

I requested the models to bring their own clothes and makeup kit, and on my part, I brainstormed several unconventional concepts. I purchased red threads and collected a variety of peculiar objects from my home that I could incorporate into my work. I wanted my photographs to stand out and be distinct, so I tended to over-style and over-complicate them.

A.B.: Do you make friends with your models? (laughs)

J.T.: Moving on to the next question (laughs).
I am very friendly with my models, not with all of them, but with many. I maintain very warm and instructive relationships. But, perhaps you meant whether the friendship leads to full-fledged relationships? It varies.

With most of them, you simply become friends and occasionally spend time together. And there is nothing surprising or embarrassing about this, because you are a photographer. You have your own circle, work, and free time closely linked to the world in which you live. And it's not because you're such a fun, wonderful, and wealthy person that you have a lot of good-looking girls, but because it's your sphere of life.
Nurses, perhaps, hang out with other medical staff, and maybe with doctors and surgeons. I don't know, maybe they have their own circle. But this my circle. Models, stylist, make-up and hair artists and so on…

A.B.: Do you have a permanent team that you work with?

J.T.: No, not yet. While there have been a few one-off teams that were very memorable, I haven't put together a team to work on projects with on a consistent basis. I'm planning on doing that next year as there will be a major shift in the direction of my photography.

A.B.: Okay. Who are your idols in photography?

J.T.: Sasha Berezkin could become one of them, first and foremost, if he devoted more time and attention to photography and took more pictures of people. Because, I think, he has very good qualities for it and enough time. (Laughs)

Idols, as such, sound lofty. When I was young and very curious, I read about many photographers: their biography, interviews. Of course, their photographs were very impressive, but I was more interested in their thoughts, facts from their life, the problems they faced, and how they solved them or how they viewed different things.

So, their notes, what they were wearing, what their office looked like, what books they read - that was much more interesting to me than drawing inspiration directly from their photos.

Well, the classics, of course, are obvious - Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Sarah Moon. Sarah Moon is such a striking photographer, but her inspiration is very enchanting. Then there's Ralph Gibson. Many reportage photographers, whose names I don't remember.

A.B: Where do you see yourself when you're 65?

J.T: Alexander and I will be drinking beer in Asia, in the new cultural and financial center of our planet. It's hard to predict where I'll be at 60. Hopefully, I'll have a wonderful family and children. I'm not sure about grandchildren by 65, but it would be nice.
I see myself as a great and very fun dad and grandpa.
I would like to have secured myself from the need to work hard by that age, and instead, observe, contemplate, and maybe keep moving, but I think the world will change so much that it will be very exciting.
But I don't want to do photography at that age. Firstly, my physical condition will be different. It's not very interesting to me to sit still in a chair and have people move me around to take portraits.

A.B: Okay, besides people, would you like to photograph nature or architecture?

J.T: The natural world evokes a deep sense of warmth and contemplation in me, but I am not particularly interested in attempting to capture those feelings through photography.

A.B: So, you're not a tree hugger?

J.T.: What?

A.B.: A tree hugger?

J.T.: I do embrace trees, and somehow, I feel like dissolving and merging into them. I hold a deep appreciation for those who can express and uncover themselves. In a way capturing still lifes and landscapes is the pinnacle of photography.

A.B.: With which models who are no longer with us would you like to work?

J.T.: I like the late 80s and early 90s when there was the era of supermodels. It's hard to imagine what it was like. Suddenly, so many strong and reckless women appeared on the horizon, these women and this power. They were like pioneers and there is beauty in that. Nowadays, it's hard to discover something similar. .

A.B: Have you noticed that the value of idols is lost over time? For example, if The Doors and Jim Morrison were around today? Supermodels can't exist today.

J.T.: The same thing applies to photographers. Peter Lindbergh wouldn't even get some model tests in Paris with his photos now, most likely. He would be one of forty thousand in his own style.

A.B: You're driving a tractor all over the place.

J.T.: When you remove idols from the horizon, you're clearing the stage for experimentation. We've invented some enclaves, concentrations in the form of idols, but in general, it's Brownian motion. It will be impossible to take one profession and pursue it for the rest of your life. It's an opportunity to try a lot of different things in life and thanks to technology and speed. I'm not afraid of that. And soon, I'll be done with photography altogether.

A.B.: So you're switching to video?

J.T.: If you start working more with digital, at some point your tools for capturing images change so much that it doesn't matter what you have in your hands - a camera or something else. It could be a phone. At some point, this could be the movement of the eyelid. Or, maybe, in your head you'll be like a Lego constructor, putting together your own story. After all, a camera in your hands is just a tool.

A.B.: So, do you want to move towards conceptual photography?

J.T.: Well, that's hard to say. Spontaneity is my creed, to some extent. I've talked to all the doctors. They say, "Jurij, you're spontaneous, and that's your strength." That's why it would be good for me to think about projects, but I'm unlikely to be able to lead one without being distracted by others.

But, I see your point. And the exhibitions I've held in Moscow this year probably reveal a glimpse of what I'd like to do next, not within the framework of some events, but in this plasticity of life.

In this coming up with and immediately showing. To freeze and disappear for six months and then provide some project for humanity is not my thing.

A.B.: Okay, tell us about your life rules, very mundane, simple, related to people, for example.

J.T.: There's such a literary moment, when in books and songs and in some conversations over wine, in the kitchen, you come up with some kind of life rules, and in some way you live not according to life. That is, you apply a filter that smoothes things out. Or, maybe, highlights certain colors and shades, I just got a little confused, but I'll sort it out now.

A.B.: I have a certain agenda, a position in life. My project is designed for people who have never tried anything new and want to try it, they are ready for some new sensations, achievements and something exciting, but they need to go through this stage and have experienced people who are ready to be an role model for beginners.

The most important thing in life is to become the best for yourself, for yourself and to improve your own "I". Not in terms of your ego, but in terms of your skills and abilities. And thus find a balance with yourself. This is my personal understanding and what I'm doing now. I think any person is unique in this respect, and they can achieve maximum heights within their own boundaries, which can be quite extensive.

J.T.: A wonderful answer, I really liked it, I hope it doesn't end up in the interview to overshadow my answers. In any case, returning to our question. My attitude towards other people is very attentive and, perhaps, somewhat cautious in a good sense, not to cause them unnecessary suffering. That's why I use a secret weapon - humor. Some, of course, perceive it as sarcasm, but it's more irony, because people joke a lot out of fear. And they relax themselves in this way, and they relax the environment they are in. And what are the rules? I'll tell you now. Splash out. In what sense? Our thoughts and our presence influence how we form thoughts, what we ask, how we answer.

A.B.: Of course.

J.T.: And there's a part of Alexander in me now and a part of Jurij in Alexander. We're not talking about sex, we're talking about conversation. And ideally, of course, when you do not draw boundaries between yourself and the outside world, but, on the contrary, even when you are in some interior or listening to music, you absorb it into yourself, and in some way, even incognito, you influence it, if you like something. I think this is also somehow fixed. I never had a desire to have a certain character or positions, to lock myself in some shell, given that everything is very fluid, in terms of a changing world. I always try to react to the situation, it takes a lot of energy, but then, intuitively it comes to you... So, am I answering your question?

A.B.: Yes, yes.

J.T.: So, the main thing is to try not to respond and react with a tunnel vision based on established patterns every time, but rather...

A.B.: Adaptively.

J.T.: Within mindfulness, to understand what is actually happening here. This is my main rule of life: to understand what is happening here in general. Let's put it this way, it's not necessarily about just scanning everything that's going on, but to form in oneself some kind of unbearable lightness of being, as in the book by my favorite author Milan Kundera. And to move through life with this lubricant.

And this lubricant always needs to be restored and replenished. In my case, this happens thanks to filming and the creative process. And communicating with people, when you share with them and when they share with you, it really lubricates things nicely.

A.B.: Good.

J.T.: This is not about sex. Are there going to be questions about sex? No? Okay.

A.B.: How many people in your life could you rely on?

J.T.: A question about girlfriends?

A.B.: About friends in general.

J.T.: That was a joke.

A.B.: Who is a friend to you? Is it important for you to have specific guidelines that can always work, or do you rely only on yourself?

J.T.: Regarding friends. At some point, I stopped putting the responsibility on them to meet my expectations. At that moment, I want to be invulnerable and not take any missteps personally.

And in general, this very rarely happens and almost never, because from the beginning, my position towards them is to share, enjoy, and spend time together constructively. And they probably feel this lightness. Of course, there are friends, and they are the ones who really reflect back to me over time, which direction I'm moving in. That is, even voicing some thoughts and ideas, even without any comments from my friends on how it all sounds out loud, I can understand that Jurij, this is not it, this is not right, or, on the contrary, this is cool.

And in return, I can also listen very well and allow them to figure things out, even without saying anything. I love and value my friends. I sometimes take care of them.

A.B.: How do you deal with your fears? I'm not talking about adaptability, because adaptability is when you compromise your own position in order to make the situation more or less comfortable. Or do you have another position that complements the situation, you know what I mean?

J.T.: That's a really good question. Thanks, Alexander. How to answer it beautifully ? (laughs)

When it comes to fears, it's really cool to use fear as a tool to overcome it, so it doesn't drive you somewhere and deprive you of opportunities, but rather provides them. It's a very attentive and painstaking work. And I don't want to be a literary hero who always goes to the rampart or shields a friend from a bullet, or something like that.

It's a very intimate work with fears, but there are several angles to look at fear, and then, it's really scary. Sometimes the door that you need to enter is the one that scares you. And it's like a beacon that flashes and blinds you, if you remain composed, you might get closer to something.

Sometimes you don't have to lose your head. I understand that fear is a signal of danger and you have to try to avoid it. The most important thing is to learn, I think, and understand each time what kind of fear it is. Fear of progress or fear of danger.

And how do I fight it? The feeling of awareness. It's already a cliché, but you really need to analyze it. But in any case, there are many fears that still haunt me and deprive me of the joy of life. I don't yet realize and understand everything, and many still hold me hostage, but life is ahead. I need to keep stirring things up.

A.B.: Alright. I have a story for you. It's probably my own personal phobia. It's related to the idea that when I become super successful, I will lose my soul. There are situations where you do what you love, and then there are situations where you are just following your audience. You're just doing the same thing over and over again. I have a feeling that I might lose my essence. It scares me. Do you have similar doubts, and how do you deal with those feelings?

J.T.: You see, when it comes to photography, I didn't have a plan or a scheme, and that's why I was always kind of wandering around and not staying in the same place for long periods, sometimes taking one step forward and then eight steps back. And another eight back, and then after a long and painstaking month, returning to the same spot again.

I always had this aimless wandering. But thanks to this, I had the opportunity to fix some things, even if they were unsuccessful, and to try many things. When I came to this realization, the question of "what will others think" popped up.

A.B.: Alright. Let's follow up on that question. Do you shoot with your mind or your heart?

J.T.: I shoot with my mind, but I choose with my heart. Because if your heart is too emotionally involved in the process, then you start to fall in love too deeply. It's distracting, and the pictures you end up with are too intimate. Not in terms of eroticism, but in terms of the fact that it's just the two of you, and only you can feel why they're great. So you have to shoot with your mind, but trust your heart when selecting.

A.B.: What advice would you give to young photographers?

J.T.: They truly do not require any guidance as they possess all the essential tools and resources, with access to any information, platform, and technology, without any specific authorities, role models, or predefined career paths that need to be followed in order to achieve success.

Take any device that captures an image, experiment and just f*** around. Have fun.

Helmut Newton famously advised to take 10,000 shots and discard them without remorse. In the digital era, this means taking 10 million shots and discarding them before you can truly grasp the essence of the craft.

Your first shots are often appear intriguing and unconventional. Why? Because you put all your life experience into it. Initially, it might seem easy, but eventually there will be a lull, and even though your parents, grandparents, and close friends may continue to praise you and give you likes, it is important to understand how to replenish your creativity.

At this point, you need to know how to replenish your creativity.

A mentor can step in to showcase the various avenues where the youth can channel their energy.

A.B.: Thank you! We've squeezed everything we can out of this conversation!

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2019 moscow