Untitled #1 by Fall 2006 Hot Shot Sasha Rudensky

Sasha Rudensky
Currently residing in: Brooklyn, NY

Website: http://www.sasharudensky.com/

Work Statement:
I started taking pictures in high school, when I became jealous of all the time my boyfriend was spending in the darkroom. As soon as I got going, I was in the darkroom every free minute. Didn't expect to continue doing it in college as well, but ended up majoring in photography. I began as a black and white 35mm documentary photographer, and have recently moved to medium format color. Most of the work that I've done has been shot in the former Soviet Union, and is indirectly political, but also very personal. The last series I completed "Remains" is an examination of the transformation of the Soviet block in the aftermath of the collapse of communism.

I'm very formal in my work, driven by color. I've loved the work of Mitch Epstein, Joel Sternfeld, the older work of Alec Soth.

Bio:
Born in Moscow in 1979 and immigrated to the States when I was 11. I went to high school in Seattle, which is where I began photographing. Moved to the east coast for college and went to Wesleyan University, where I was a studio art major and did a thesis. I've been living in Brooklyn since graduating five years ago. I've been mostly teaching photography at Wesleyan as an adjunct. In 2004-5 I was away for a year on a grant shooting the series Remains. I started the Yale MFA program this fall.