Five On It- with Slava Mogutin
–Behind the Curtain, Two Fists Up, and JockHead (Brian) by Slava Mogutin
Slava Mogutin’s creative spark alights nearly every artistic medium, and he boasts an impressive body of work– both individually, and with co-conspirators in the collaborative artistic team, SUPERM– through which he explores themes like shame, anonymity, the personal-as-political, and more. This week, he agreed to answer our birdsong interview questions and allowed us to showcase some of his work on the blog.
–Duct Taped, and Ben & Ginger by Slava Mogutin
Although I’d heard about Slava Mogutin a lot and seen his art around the city, I didn’t know much about the artist himself until I read his his East Village Boys interview in 2009, wherein he said something that’s really stayed with me ever since. Having spent many years as a political dissident in Russia, acquiring notoriety and respect as a radical queer poet and journalist, Mogutin was exiled from his home country at 21. When asked by Bruce LaBruce (for EVB) just why, upon his escape to the United States, he decided to concentrate on visual art instead of his writing, Slava replied, “When I moved to America, I lost my language and my audience… I started focusing on my photography and eventually visual art became my main language.” That idea really moved and inspired me, taking a potentially debilitating set-back and turning it into a unique opportunity for creative growth; rolling with the punches. Adapting. So without further ado, Five On It with Slava Mogutin–
1) What’s the last song you listened to?
Slava Mogutin: “Pope Sex” by Gio Black Peter, from his new album Virgin Shuffle, out this spring. I’m directing a video for the title song. BTW, Gio is now raising funds on Kickstarter to cover the production costs. Help spread the word and support this great project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gioblackpeter/gio-black-peter-the-virgin-shuffle-album
2) What did you want to be when you were ten?
SM: I was convinced that I was a reincarnation of Peter the Great. It was going on for a couple of years: I read whatever books I could find about him, would declare wars on my imaginary enemies and carry on conversations with my generals and ministers. Later on, I realized that I was, in fact, a reincarnation of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. That phase lasted another couple of years before I finally decided that I was actually the reincarnated Arthur Rimbaud. That latest conviction turned out to be the most productive one and inspired me to publish 7 books of writings and achieve literary notoriety in Russia.
3) What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
SM: When I first moved to New York almost 16 years ago, hardly spoke any English and hardly knew anyone here, my immigration lawyer Noemi Masliah, who took on my case pro bono and helped me to get my political asylum, said: “You’re young, smart, tall, blue-eyed, and you’re in New York City! You have absolutely nothing to worry about!” It was the most encouraging thing I’ve ever heard and also the most prophetic one.
–Most Active, Blind Faith, and Stock in the News by Slava Mogutin
4) What’s the last thing you were obsessed with?
SM: Coconut pancakes. About a year ago, I woke up with really intense cravings for homemade pancakes, so I went out and got all the ingredients and invented my own recipe, using coconut oil, milk and flakes. Since then I’ve been making them every morning, it’s my daily ritual. I’m convinced that coconut pancakes bring me luck!
5) What are you afraid of?
SM: I’m afraid of being deported, or going back to Russia and being arrested and thrown to jail… that’s why I haven’t been back there in over 6 years and even let my Russian passport expire! Luckily, I’m finally applying for my American citizenship, so hopefully soon I’ll be able to sort this out, so I can travel freely abroad without any visas and hassle at the customs!
–Homophones by Slava Mogutin
Siberian-born artist and writer Slava Mogutin was exiled from Russia for his queer writings and activism at the age of 21. In 1995, he was granted political asylum in the US with the support of Amnesty International and PEN American Center. Mogutin is the author of two hardcover monographs of photography, Lost Boys and NYC Go-Go, and seven books of writings published in Russian. He’s the winner of the prestigious Andrei Bely Prize for poetry (2000). In the past decade, Mogutin’s photography and multimedia work has been exhibited internationally, including MoMA/PS 1 and Museum of Art and Design in New York, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Station Museum of Contemporary Art in Houston, Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Schwules Museum in Berlin, Overgaden Institute of Contemporary Art in Copenhagen, KUMU Art Museum in Tallinn, The Haifa Museum of Art in Israel, and Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León (MUSAC) in Spain. Mogutin’s work has been featured in a wide range of publications including The New York Times, The Village Voice, Whitewall, Modern Painters, ArtUS, Vice, i-D, V, Visionaire, L’Uomo Vogue, Stern, and L’Officiel Hommes.
Slava is currently showing at JAS Gallery in Paris, LaFresh Gallery in Madrid, the JustMadrid Art Fair (Feb. 17-20), the KUMU Estonian Art Museum, and in April, his Lost Boys traveling solo exhibition debuts at Wrong Weather Gallery in Porto, Portugal.
www.slavamogutin.com
http://slavamogutin.blogspot.com
–Hitler Youth, and Sick Plot by Slava Mogutin
About Tommy
Tommy was born and raised on the Viejas Reservation of the Kumeyaay Nation, near San Diego. Now he lives and eats in Brooklyn. twitter.com/pitstains
View all posts by Tommy → This entry was posted in Five On It and tagged art, boyz, coconut pancakes, perseverance, photography, poetry, Russia, Slava Mogutin, SUPERM. Bookmark the permalink.←Previous Post Next Post →
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