The Other 1995

Vasiliy Ryabchenko shot "The Other" and it's all drama and mystery. The composition, veiled in monochromatic tones, feels like a theatrical production, the props casting long shadows. It’s as if the artist has staged a scene from a dream. I get a sense of Ryabchenko juggling various elements, balancing light and shadow, form and texture, each decision shaping the work. The figure emerges out of darkness. And what is it? A sculpture? An installation? A human with a big hat? Is that cotton wool? Horns? The figure is adorned with ambiguous forms that feel like a second skin, challenging conventional notions of beauty and identity. I'm transported to a surreal landscape where the familiar is made strange, and the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur. It reminds me of some of the weirder surrealist photos of the 1920s. Ryabchenko, like many artists, is in a visual conversation across time, embracing uncertainty. The photograph invites us to explore our perceptions, question our assumptions, and discover new meanings.