Motherland by Simon Roberts. First edition (2007). First impression. Large format hardback in near fine condition. Flat signed by Simon Roberts to the title page. There is some very minor wear to bottom rear near the barcode. There are soft corner folds to a few pages. Please see pictures. PayPal accepted, any questions please get in touch.
About Motherland
Instead of falling prey to the clichéd representations of a Russia ground down by poverty and despair, intimate portraits of contemporary Russians show us a diverse people, united by a sense of common identity and connected by a shared love of the ‘the Motherland’, while vast, sometimes, peopled landscapes reveal the complexity and uniqueness of the country. Together, the photographs explore the notion of Russia’s “modest beauty” without sidestepping the realities of Russian daily life. This concept of “modest beauty” originates from early depictions of a specifically Russian landscape in art and literature, which contributed to the construction of Russian national identity. Russian land seemed impoverished in comparison with European conventions, but at the turn of the 20th century Russia’s “humble barrenness” became highly valued by Russian viewers. This once-landscape of suffering awakened an endurance within its people, and this humble nature, or modest beauty, became a source of national celebration. The photographs explore the notion of Russia’s “modest beauty”. While they acknowledge their country’s deficiencies, Russians nonetheless believe their native land to be a remarkable and exceptional place. They convey a sense of optimism about their country, an optimism borne of more than just patriotism. They see Russia as their rodina, a word meaning “homeland”. Russians carry with them an innate sense of the history of the “Motherland” and through this feel inextricably connected to one another. They see her landscapes and people as unique – set apart, spiritual, resilient, even holy. This “Russianness”, elusive yet pervasive, represents a nebulous spirituality that inhabits almost every corner of this boundless land.
About Simon Roberts
Simon Roberts (b. 1974) is a British photographer whose work deals with our relationship to our landscape. Firstly, he has published and exhibited widely and his photographs reside in major public and private collections. Which includes the George Eastman House, Deutsche Börse Art Collection and V&A Collection. Furthermore, in 2010 he was commissioned as the official British Election Artist by the House of Commons Works of Art Committee. So, he was to produce a record of the General Election on behalf of the UK Parliamentary Art Collection. Next, in 2013 was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.
Related Links
More books by Simon Roberts
here. More books by Chris Boot
here.
