Kokto 2001

Arsen Savadov made this photograph, Kokto, sometime in the late 20th or early 21st century, and what a picture it is. The first thing that grabs you is that massive mushroom cloud looming in the background. It feels catastrophic, yet there's a bizarre serenity, too. I can imagine Savadov setting up this shot, carefully placing each figure and prop like a stage director. What's with the girl in the pink dress and the inner tube? Or the man with the blanket and bouquet? It's like a dream, with symbols that hint at a story, but one that remains just out of reach. That tension, that push and pull between beauty and disaster, it reminds you of other artists who use painting to explore the darker sides of life. It's a continuation of a conversation about how we see and experience our world. These artists keep each other company. They take inspiration from the past, creating new and deeply personal perspectives.