JONATHAN CHERRY: What other artists inspire your practice?

ELENA CHERNYAK: There are no concrete artists as a source for my inspiration. Firstly because inspiration is more of a difficult thing that just a result of viewing somebody’s work. You always have the risk of starting to copy! Inspiration comes mainly from my personal experiences and feelings.

JC: What equipment have you been using for ‘Twelve White Girls’?

EC: I used an old medium format Rolleiflex

JC: ‘Twelve White Girls’ really interests me as a series of work. Why did you choose such a subject matter?

EC: One day I was walking by the dance school for kids and saw the photos on the window. Dance teachers made these photos at the concerts and after displayed it inside as a kind of advertising for the school. They depicted a lot of different dances and costumes, but I was absolutely charmed with small girls dressed in white. I immediately saw the pictures I wanted as well as the background. I then felt as though I had to do this body of work.

JC: Did you find it a relatively easy process making portraits of the children in ‘Twelve White Girls’?

EC: I was surprised that my little models posed so accurately and seriously. It seemed as though they felt a real sense of responsibility in doing the poses well. That’s why it was very easy for me. Some of them tried to use my camera during a break between the shootings but it was just fun.

JC: What is next in the pipe line for you?

EC: Now I feel like I want to travel more intensively while doing my personal projects. Also I’m interesting in experimenting with some fashion elements within photography.

One of my main preferences is subjects connected with women in some ways, I don’t know why but female stories interest me more that any other.