CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 1/9/2016

Boris Mikhailov: Diary

In his new, heavily annotated, scrapbook-like, 430-page, 900-image artist book from Walther König, Diary, noted Soviet photographer Boris Mikhailov cites the liberal, west-looking 'Blaue Horse' student group as inspiration. "They came under great pressure from the government… four of them were convicted and went to jail… for pornography (convicting someone for madness or pornography was one of the ways used to crack down on any opposition). As one of the main proofs, the court was presented with photographs of these young people on the beach, in swimwear, striking "Western" poses. … I started with my photography about five years later; it was the time when it was forbidden to shoot many—or almost all—thing, but no one was killed for it already…"