George Pusenkoff is a somewhat unique artist who experiments with pixels in all their manifestations. His work Single Mona Lisa 1:1 was once aboard the International Space Station. His other work The Power of Blue was a subject of the court case with Helmut Newton who accused George Pusenkoff of plagiarism, but the latter managed to defend his authorship.

George Pusenkoff, artist © Sasha Krasnov Photography

It was an art magazine that commissioned a portrait of the artists. We met in a restaurant adjacent to Russia’s famed Bolshoi Theater with the eponymous name, which had many works of Pusenkoff on display. Magazines often have their own idea of what photos should be like for an article, so they themselves decide where and how to shoot. At least they think so.

I made a few photos there but realized very quickly that I did not like that place at all. However, I noticed that on the opposite side of the street there was a building with a perfectly white wall without relief, filled with scattered light.

I took out my Yashica Mat 124G and we went outside to make a portrait against that simple background.

May 17, 2017 © Sasha Krasnov