THE NEW YORK ART LEAGUE vol. 1: SLAVA MOGUTIN

36, doesn’t pay much attention to the art scene and art politics

media: multimedia, text

When he first got in New York 15 years ago, Slava hardly knew anyone and could hardly speak English. He had to start his life and career from the ground zero and reinvent himself both personally and artistically. As he describes it: “It was a long, dramatic and exciting journey, and that’s how Slava Mogutin the artist was born”

Your photography seems to be based on trust – you show models in vulnerable states. How do you comfort them? What is the story behind a photograph?

The key is that I never use professional models or studio set-up. In fact, I didn’t even have a real studio until just few months ago. Most of my shoots are completely spontaneous and improvised. I get plenty of solicitations from volunteers who want to be photographed by me, but I prefer to work with friends and people I know. Personal connection with my subjects is essential for my work. I’m not just interested in pretty faces or beautiful bodies, I want to capture their real character and emotion. It’s always about trust and mutual respect and understanding. Even for my most graphic and explicit photos, I would never force anyone into anything they don’t want to do, or something that I wouldn’t do myself.

Why did you change your name from Yaroslav to Slava?

My full name is Yaroslav Yurievich Mogutin. Mogutin means “mighty” in Russian. I was named after Yaroslav the Wise, the ancient king who was responsible for unifying the state and bringing literacy to Russia. Slava means “fame” or “glory” and it’s a nickname for Yaroslav. That’s how my family and friends always called me. When I moved to New York, I started using Slava as my artistic name. I like the fact that it’s different from my literary name and identity. One of my poetry books was published under the name SUPERMOGUTIN. And that’s where SUPERM comes from.

READ THE FULL-LENGTH INTERVIEW AND VIEW THE ORIGINAL ARTWORK GALLERY  HERE.