Stained

Introduction

2D or not 2D


Conceptual artist and photographer Alexander Khokhlov has mastered the craft of perspective like no other. In his 2D or not 2D series, he creates portraits that at first glance appear to be two-dimensional paintings or posters, revealing themselves as photographs upon closer inspection. To achieve this, Khokhlov transforms the human face into a canvas. Working alongside a professional makeup artist, he implements his ideas, which often allude to art history, by applying paint directly on his models' faces. The faces and applied motifs interact in an exciting and unique way, offering the audience a variety of interpretations. The artist crosses the boundaries of several genres with his works, thereby creating new visual experiences.


Alexander Khokhlov has many sources of inspiration. Classical painting and Cubism are among them, but Pop Art, with its expressive blend of color and form, is especially influential. For his series, he drew inspiration from legends like Roy Lichtenstein and Shepard Fairey: Lichtenstein became world-famous as a pop art icon, and Khokhlov echoes his style, turning a comic book character into a personality that moves between the fictional and real worlds. Khokhlov cleverly plays with perspective and viewer interpretations of his portraits. In the case of Shepard Fairey, on the other hand, the distinctive focus on color fascinates Khokhlov the most and prompted him to pay homage. Just as Shepard once staged Barack Obama in white-blue-red, Khokhlov seems to transform his models’ faces into a political statement.