Photography

Georgia And Georgia: A Contradiction At First Sight

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Words: Paula Lou Riebschläger

In a photographic typology about the US state and the country Georgia, Yanina Shevchenko and Kyler Zeleny discovered their homes seperately in search of a connection between these supposedly contradictory places. The series invites the viewer to question whether they have more in common than just the name.

“Using Shevchenko’s images as a base, Zeleny playfully builds upon the original images, finding similar subjects and poetic connections“

For the collaboration’s framework, Zeleny came up with three broad categories: landscapes, people, and the human built environment. Shevchenko then took the first set of pictures, which Zeleny responded to. In this way both photographers influenced each other’s work.

“Using Shevchenko’s images as a base, Zeleny playfully builds upon the original images, finding similar subjects and poetic connections“, explains the project statement. Rather than perpetuating stereotypes, the photographers wanted to be open to a different way of observing the people and places they interacted with. As a result, they have created a confronting set of photos showing the obvious disparities between both Georgias, as well as surprising resemblances.