Donbass Chocolate 1997

Arsen Savadov made this photograph, "Donbass Chocolate", at an unknown date, and what a photograph it is! Imagine being there when it came into being, in the Ukraine. What a collision of unexpected gestures, where male coal miners are wearing tutus. On the one hand, the hardness, dirt, and grit of the industrial world. On the other hand, the softness, lightness, and grace associated with ballet. What's it all about? I really sympathize with this artist and imagine what it might have been like to make this image. Maybe he was thinking about the multiple layers of meaning, and the way that photography can question the status quo. I think artists are always in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. Ambiguity and uncertainty allows for multiple interpretations and meaning.