Pinkhasov Georgy. Biography and creative path of the photographer

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Pinkhasov Georgiy is a contemporary photographer born in Moscow and the only Russian invited to work at the international agency Magnum Photos. Pinkhasov is the owner of prestigious international awards, behind the shoulders of the master - the organization of personal exhibitions, the release of photo albums, work in well-known foreign publications.

The beginning of the creative path

Pinkhasov was born in 1952, his passion for photography came in his early years. Apparently, this played a role - after graduating from school, he entered the Moscow Institute of Cinematography. Without completing his studies, Georgy goes to the army, after which he begins work at the Mosfilm film studio as a photographer.

1978 was marked for Pinkhasov by joining the Union of Graphic Artists of Moscow. His first creative works in the genre of still life and portrait were exhibited here. Among them are such as "Melon" and "Glass of tea" made in sepia technique.

Very soon George Pinkhasov was able to get the status of an independent photo artist. This circumstancegave freedom, the opportunity to travel and show their work not only in the USSR, but also outside the country.

Meeting with Tarkovsky and transition to reportage photography

While working at Mosfilm, fate brings Pinkhasov together with director Andrei Tarkovsky. Thanks to acquaintances, some of George's photo tests ended up in the hands of the famous director. Tarkovsky invites the photographer to collaborate on the film "Stalker" in 1979. Pinkhasov accepts the offer and makes a report on the film. Thus, Tarkovsky, as it were, pushed Georgy to move to work with reportage photography.

Tarkovsky and Pinkhasov communicate a lot, discuss issues of film production and photographic art. Despite the fact that the director really likes the pictures of George, he somehow notices that for him the ideal of reportage photography is the work of Henri Cartier-Brisson. This phrase made young Pinkhasov think and dare the first experiments of intrusion into the lives of strangers with a camera in their hands.

Working as a reportage photographer in the Soviet Union was very difficult. Firstly, the people themselves were suspicious and wary of a person with a camera in their hands. Secondly, the police could simply expose unwanted footage. Nevertheless, Georgy Pinkhasov continued to shoot, his legacy is thousands of colorful photographs that vividly convey the era of the USSR.

Georgy Pinkhasov himself said in an interview thatthanks to Tarkovsky, he saw the world with different eyes, and the main thing he learned from the director was a humane attitude towards a person. The photographer speaks with admiration about meetings with great people - Cartier Bresson, Nadezhda Mandelstam, their simplicity and love of knowledge. He believes that their unwillingness to rise above others served as an example for him in his work and life.

Magnum Photo Agency

In 1985, Georgy Pinkhasov marries a French woman and goes to live in Paris. In 1988, he submitted a portfolio to the Magnum agency, however, not really counting on success. However, the master was accepted, and one of the founders of Magnum Photos, Cartier Bresson, spoke of him as a very talented photo artist.

Pinhasov was able to become a full member of the agency in a few years. The procedure for entering this cooperative is complex and multi-stage. To date, Magnum brings together a little more than 60 photographers who, like Pinkhasov, strive to document the world around them in their work. The iconic agency's photographers present their work to newspapers, television, galleries and museums around the world.

Cooperation with international publications

Pinkhasov appreciates freedom in his work, when looking at his photographs, many get a feeling of the uniqueness of the most simple and ordinary things. Masters attract the individual features of people and objects, the smallest details that can be instantly grabbed by light from the darkness.

Photographer very muchshoots for the most famous international publications. Among them:

• Geo international popular science magazine.
• Actuel contemporary art magazine.
• The New York Times, America's largest daily newspaper.

Pinkhasov himself said that one of the prerequisites for working in international publications was a trip to Chernobyl. It was an order from the New York Times in the 90s, but it was not possible to shoot what was needed. The photographer and his partner, an American journalist, were not allowed to go to the places they wanted to go. Then he began to take pictures of everything that happened around him. The result is a stunning material that shows the real reality. After this successful report, many orders were received with trips around the world: Kenya, Brazil, Vietnam, China.

Pinkhasov's photo albums

Pinkhasov's work has been repeatedly marked by prestigious awards. In 1993, this talented photographer was awarded the World Press Photo International Prize. Moscow, Paris, Geneva, Tallinn - this is the list of cities where his exhibitions were held.

The master has released several photobooks, the most famous are:

• 1998 - Sightwalk ("Look on the go").
• 2006 - Nordmeer ("North Sea").

The first was the result of a trip to Japan where he filmed Tokyo. The second album was born after travels in the Arctic.

Photographer Pinkhasov is considered a genius for working with light, and he himself often says that he loves clarity in everything. Summing up all the statements of the master from various media interviews, we can say that Georgy Pinkhasov is a photographer whose biography does not bear a hint of nationality. According to him, this is just personal data. When asked which city is his hometown, the photographer answers: "Moscow - Paris".