Angels 2000

Arsen Savadov made "Angels" to explore queer iconography against the backdrop of a rocky Black Sea beach. What was Savadov thinking when he combined the erotic and the sublime? He took a risk. He was bold. I feel that as the waves gently wash around the angel’s feet. I love the gesture of a beach as a stage. Two nearly-nude angels, one lounging like a movie star and the other testing the waters. You know, in some traditions, angels are sexless, but here, Arsen really gets to make them physical. There's something so playful and free about that. It gives a fresh dimension to the angel theme. Like Duane Michals, or Pierre et Gilles, Arsen knows how to use photography to open up the possibilities of looking. He mixes it up with the cool light of the sea. I feel like he’s inviting us to engage with his vision, pushing us to see art and photography with new eyes.