Varvara Mikushkina

In Lux and Lumen, a division of light permeates each photograph, formally and visually connecting each image. Each photograph depicts a form of light that is refracted, reflected, absorbed, or avoided. Emphasis is placed on luminous objects that allow light to penetrate their surfaces. Various forms of materiality are chosen to portray divisions of light. The ocean, candleholders, and black hair are props that facilitate an abstract narrative, but also complement the shape of light. Use of glass filters breaks rays of light into rainbow beams, tying the images together. The chosen objects have no economic value, but their worth is elevated by the stylized formal composition of each photograph. This book is a physical representation of the potential in each pairing. Every spread facilitates at least two ways of reading the images. Through these visual and physical interruptions, the images gain layers of meaning and interpretation.