"Russian Impressions I & II, 2019/2020" was created for our current exhibition by Susan Aurinko and Misha Goro, who combine etching, oil, and photography on aluminum to create this dynamic piece.
Aurinko’s glamorous photographs represent an imagined representation of St. Petersburg by depicting the seductive symbols of European chic. However, Goro’s view as a native of St Petersburg is somewhat grittier. Both impressions are correct as they show the two sides of a post-Soviet Russian reality.
In this collaboration, Aurinko has provided photographs for the two faces that Goro has screened onto the Aluminum, as well as the image of the building on the smaller of the two that Goro painted from. The process is multi-layered and Goro has used a handful of processes to create the finished pieces, including oil painting and chemical etching. The process was exceptionally rewarding for both artists and felt like a true meeting of the minds.
Susan Aurinko and Misha Goro chat about their collaborative piece:
Susan Aurinko has shown her photography in solo exhibitions in France, Italy, and India, as well as in the US. Her exhibition about India, entitled Still Point India, is now available as a book, as is Searching for Jehanne – The Joan Of Arc Project, which has been shown in both galleries and museums. Aurinko’s work appears on several book covers, including The Stranger Among Us, Ariel, Scar Tissue, Bound and Broken, and Slut Lullabies, in the US and UK, and four of her photographs are included in the Museum of Contemporary Photography’s permanent collection as well as the collections of The Union League Club of Chicago and The Loyola University Museum of Art. Her photographs hang in private collections in France, Italy, India, Monaco, the UK, and the US.
Misha Goro, a prominent painter, printmaker and educator, has lived and worked in Russia, Europe, Israel, and the U.S. He received an M.F.A. in printmaking from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently he holds the position of Chairperson of the Graphics Department at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Goro has won a number of prestigious international awards in Europe, Asia, and the United States and has taught Master Classes and done Artist Residencies in China, Russia, Italy, Belgium, and the UK. His work has been exhibited in over a hundred national and international shows and hangs in multiple public and private collections.
Watch more conversations between collaborating artists here.