Masha Ivashintsova (March 23, 1942 − July 13, 2000) was a Russian photographer from Saint-Petersburg (then Leningrad, USSR) who was heavily engaged in the Leningrad poetic and photography underground movement of the 1960−80s. Masha photographed prolifically throughout most of her life, but she hoarded her photo-films in the attic and rarely developed them. Only when her daughter Asya found some 30,000 negatives in their attic in 2017 did Masha's works become public.[1] In this regard, Masha Ivashintsova's work and story have been compared to those of Vivian Maier.[2]
Masha Ivashintsova | |
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| Born | March 23, 1942 Sverdlovsk, USSR |
| Died | July 13, 2000 (aged 58) Saint-Petersburg, Russia |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Known for | Photographer and painter |
| Website | mashaivashintsova |
Ivashintsova died in 2000 at the age of 58.
Personal life edit
Masha was born into an aristocratic family whose assets were seized following the Bolshevik Revolution.[2] In Leningrad, Ivashintsova joined the city's literary and artistic underground. She worked odd jobs as a theater critic, a librarian, a cloakroom attendant, an elevator mechanic, and a security guard, amongst others. Occasionally, she would visit Asya in Moscow.[3]
Masha was heavily engaged in the Leningrad poetic and photography of the 1960−80s. She was in relationships with photographer Boris Smelov, poet Viktor Krivulin and linguist Melvar Melkumyan.,[4] the latter whom she married and had a daughter, Asya Melkumyan.
Exhibitions edit
- Masha Ivashintsova, Street Photographer (2018), International Center of Photography, New York City, USA[5]
- Brought to Light (2019), Vintage Photo Festival, Bydgoszcz, Poland, curated by Katarzyna Gębarowska and Masha Galleries.[6]
- Chiaroscuro (2019-2020), Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Centre, Tallinn, Estonia[7]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Leningrad's Lost Photographer". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
- ^ a b "'Russian Vivian Maier' Discovered After 30,000 Photos Found in Attic". PetaPixel. 2018-03-12. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ "The Secret Stash of Soviet Street Photographer Masha Ivashintsova". Mother Jones. July–August 2018. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ "Official website Masha Ivashintsova Photography". mashaivashintsova.com. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
- ^ "Vivian Maier: Who Took Nanny's Pictures (2013)". International Center of Photography. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ "Masha Ivashintsova "Brought to Light"". Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ "MAŠA IVAŠINTSOVA — CHIAROSCURO". Retrieved 2019-12-15.