Anastasia Kuba: Russian Railroad stories
Adobe Books Backroom Gallery presents Russian Railroad Stories, solo exhibition by artist Anastasia Kuba
OPENING RECEPTION, Friday, February 6th, 7-9pm
EXHIBITION DATES: February 5th – February 15th, 2015
Adobe Books Backroom Gallery
3130 24th St., San Francisco, CA 94110
As a child growing up in Russia, traveling by train was one of my favorite activities. I remember looking out the window at passing villages and wondering about the people who lived there. What was their life like? What were their homes like? What stories could they tell? The rocking sound of a train created a perfect atmosphere for daydreaming.
When I turned twenty I moved to US and became a portrait photographer and each time I go back, Russia appears familiar and mysterious at the same time. I feel as I belong, yet as an outsider…
The idea to create a photo project where being on a train would not be my way to get somewhere, but would be my destination came to me one winter when I was visiting my family.
I was fascinated with a train cabin as a very personal, private space strangers share. There is a feeling of separation that exists simultaneously with a feeling of great intimacy. People wear sleeping masks and pajamas, play cards, read books and eat homemade meals. Riding in the same car, people become roommates for a day or two, share stories, drinks, but also spend a lot of time alone with their thoughts.
As I moved through the train, I asked each person if I could take their portrait. Sometimes, the answer was a silent nod of the head as a person continued to look at the window. In that case I would take a portrait and quietly walked away. Sometimes our conversations were brief, sometimes we talked for hours sharing our life stories, sometimes I was invited to join for a meal…
For this project, I chose a medium format vintage Fuji camera because to me film brings with it the same nostalgic feeling as railroad. And Russia itself.