Kristina Rozhkova turned her experience of being imprisoned into a stunningly brutal photo book about captivity, sadomasochism and cruelty (NSFW)
Kristina Rozhkova, a Russian artist detained by the state following a criminal case initiated over a photograph, channelled her experience of captivity into a brutalist photo book titled Gut Feeling. The work emerged from her two-month pre-trial detention and subsequent legal proceedings, which prompted reflection on childhood memories of animals and her mother’s dog breeding. The project investigates themes of imprisonment, bondage and servitude through documentary photography of animal farms, BDSM communities, taxidermy practitioners and performance artists. Rozhkova photographed veterinarians, hunters, breeders and zoologists, exploring how power structures create both literal and consensual forms of oppression. The book alternates between colour and black-and-white imagery, employing tonal shifts and texture to examine interconnections between captivity, bodily constraint and desire. Her central thesis posits that human civilization constructs systematic limitations upon both human subjects and animals, making the cage a universal metaphor for contemporary existence.
Original article published on It’s Nice That — AI-generated summary. Visit the website to read the full article at the source. Image via It’s Nice That.
