Alexander Kargaltsev

Alexander (Sasha) Kargaltsev is a Russian-born American artist, writer, photographer, actor and film director.[1]

Alexander Kargaltsev
Born
Moscow, Russia
NationalityAmerican
Known forPhotography, theatre, cinema
MovementContemporary art

Biography

Alexander Kargaltsev was born in Moscow. He came to New York in 2010 to study at the New York Film Academy. He never came back to Russia after applying for asylum in the United States.[2] As a photographer, Kargaltsev is known for his series of nude male portraiture. In 2012 he published a book Asylum with nude portraits of Russian gay asylum seekers in the United States.[3][4] His activism works also included organization of a protest against IKEA for the removal of a photograph of a lesbian couple from the Russian edition of Ikea Family Live magazine.[5]

His short movies, The Cell (2010) and The Well (2009) won him a scholarship at the Russian State University of Cinematography.[6] Kargaltsev moved to New York City in 2009 after winning a scholarship in New York Film Academy[7] and applied to asylum[8] in United States, citing persecution, based on his sexual orientation.[9] Kargaltsev's asylum was approved in May 2011 after nine months of hearings. The evidences gathered was presented to USA Immigration and Naturalization Services.[10]

Kargaltsev's debut as a theatre director was the play The Net, staged in Dixon Place in New York.[11] He directed the play Crematorium, based on a story written by Russian playwright Valeriy Pecheykin. The play was staged in its abridged version at New York's Shelter Studios and Gene Frankel Theatre.[12][13]

At the time of the Sochi Olympics, Alexander Kargaltsev responded to a controversial photo of Russian-American gallerist Dasha Zhukova. On her photo, she is sitting on a chair composed of a semi-nude black woman with her legs up in the air. In order to reverse the “Visual injustice and offense” of Zhukova's image, Kargaltsev created the image with a naked Afro-American man, who is sitting on a naked white man on his back with his legs aloft. [14]

Crematorium for gays, scene from the play.
Poster shot for Crematorium.
Performance of Crematorium
Shot from performance of Crematorium

Exhibitions

Solo

Group
  • 2010 "Hung Checking Out the Contemporary Male". "Gitana Rosa Williamsburg" Gallery. New York City.[18][19]
  • 2013 "Queerussia: the hidden (p)art". 'Mooiman' Gallery. Groningen, Netherlands.[20]
  • 2014 "Juicy". "Gitana Rosa Williamsburg" Gallery. New York City.[21]
  • 2015 "Same as You". Curated by Igor Zeiger. "Mazeh 9" Municipal youth art center gallery. Tel Aviv[22][23]
  • 2020 "The dark male model, Forbidden words". Galerie MooiMan. Groningen. [24]

Publications
  • Asylum. Alexander Kargaltsev. 2012. ISBN 0-9883289-0-9.

Collections

Alexander Kargaltsev works are in permanent collection of Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. [25]

  • Nude on stone paving
  • Portrait of Dmitry Bozin
  • Vladik and daemons
  • Tyler
  • The summer we met
  • Kargaltsev answer to Dasha Zhukova
  • Study in gay affection
  • Part of a homoerotic series of photographs of models around Central Park
  • IKEA Gets Queered with Russian Kiss-In
  • Life study series of photos
  • Mitt Jones relaxing
  • Micky Friedmann in Moscow
  • Kargaltsev posed nude on rocks
  • Portrait of Luis.
  • Study on stairs
  • Study series
  • Last supper parallel
  • Crouched study.
  • Untitled
  • Kelvin and Aren
  • Untitled
  • Untitled
  • Nude study
  • A lifeguard
  • At work
  • Blower
  • Collage

References
  1. "Друзья и любовники". kvir.ru. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  2. Pearson, Erica (March 18, 2012). "Russians find asylum in New York amid gay-bashing, harsh laws back home". The New York Daily News. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  3. "Alexander Kargaltsev's 'Asylum' Photographs Capture Russian Gay Men Who Fled to the U.S." Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  4. "Asylum: Alexander Kargaltsev". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  5. J. Lester Feder. "LGBT Activists Stage Kiss-In at Brooklyn Ikea To Protest Store's Lesbian Scandal in Russia". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  6. "Колодец (The Well)" – via ruskino.ru.
  7. Никита Терский. "Беженец-гей Александр Каргальцев: Я вернусь, если Путин меня попросит". Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  8. Erica Pearson. "Brooklyn filmmaker Alexander Kargaltsev fled after clash at Moscow pride rally". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  9. "Александр Каргальцев: "Родители были в ужасе, когда поняли, что я гей". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  10. Nikola Krastev. "Why a Gay Muscovite Sought, and Won, U.S. Asylum". The Moscow Times. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  11. "Alexander Kargaltsev- The Net (Dance Theater)". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  12. Wong, Curtis M. (May 19, 2014). "Facing Death, Gay Couples Aim To 'Turn Straight' In Controversial NYC Play". HuffPost.
  13. "Crematorium Collaborators Alexander Kargaltsev and Pavel Solodovnikov Discuss Russia, Ukraine, and Their Latest Show | TheaterMania". www.theatermania.com.
  14. Daisy Wyatt. "Russian artist publishes 'gay chair' in protest against Dasha Zhukova photograph". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  15. Dan Avery. "Photographer Alexander Kargaltsev Offers "Asylum" In New York Gallery Show". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  16. Christofer Harrirty. "In the Galleries: Alexander Kargalstev's Friends and Lovers". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  17. Talijancic, Ivan. "Alexander Kargaltsev with Ivan Talijancic". Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  18. "HUNG Checking Out the Contemporary Male". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  19. "HUNG Checking Out the Contemporary Male". Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  20. "'Queerussia: The hidden (p)art opens in Groningen". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  21. "Juicy. a group exhibition". Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  22. Kristóf Joseph Steiner. ""Same as You " a group exhibition". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  23. "Art Group Exhibition at Mazeh 9 Gallery". Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  24. "Expositie 'The dark male model, Forbidden words' vanaf 1 maart te zien in galerie MooiMan male-art". gezinsbode.nl. February 25, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  25. "Kargaltsev, Alexander". Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
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