Vladimir Klaviho Telepnev. The Genius of “Aging”

Vladimir Klavikho Telepnev is one of the most prominent representatives of contemporary art photography. He graduated from the Moscow State University of Printing Arts with a degree in graphic arts. Since 1986, he has worked as a photojournalist for several Italian, French, and Spanish publications. At the same time, he participated in exhibitions of paintings and graphics by Moscow artists. He created his own signature style — monochrome photo printing with artificial “aging” of the images. He is a member of the International Association of Graphic Artists and the Union of Photographers of Russia, and a photography instructor at the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University and the Moscow Academy of Design. All of the artist’s works are done in monochrome photography, using complex color nuances. The illustrations often incorporate still-life elements that help reveal the image: roses, books, strands of pearls. Each detail can hide additional meaning and significance, almost like in Carroll’s book, which is built on complex mathematical and logical associations. For over ten years, he produced photo reports about Russia for European publications. In the mid-1990s, he began working in advertising and quickly made a name for himself, becoming one of the most striking and original fashion photographers in contemporary Russia. Today, his works are sold worldwide by prestigious galleries, with prices ranging from 6,000 to 25,000 euros. He also has a gallery in Nice, located behind the Le Negresco hotel on the Promenade des Anglais, which is visited by a large number of admirers of the artist. “There always needs to be some personal idea,” the artist shares his secrets, “something that sets you apart from your colleagues. It’s a race — first with yourself, then with a real opponent, and even with the whole system — which, in my opinion, is very interesting.” Recently, the city of Fréjus in France received a painting by the Russian artist Vladimir Klavikho Telepnev following the Franco-Russian photographic meetings held in October last year. The Deputy Mayor and Delegate for Culture in Fréjus, Martin Petrius-Benhamu, expressed his great admiration for the genius works of the Russian artist. He said: “This is a representative painting of Russian culture, and we are very honored.” The artist himself could not attend the exhibition, and his interests were represented by his agent in France, Natalia Soboleva, President of the Franco-Russian Association of Friendship and Cultural Exchange “Nathalie.” The Franco-Russian photographic meetings were highly successful in France. They were organized jointly by the city authorities, the Department of Culture, the IBM Côte d'Azur Photo Club chaired by Mr. Christophe Dentinje, and Forum Julii Photo chaired by Mr. Gérard Vandevelde. The French visitors showed great interest in the event and noted the originality of the works by Russian artists. A reciprocal exhibition is planned to take place in the Russian city of Pskov. The goal of such events is to develop artistic and cultural cooperation and to promote photographic works by French and Russian authors. The exhibition is scheduled for 2023.