Wait, what does “unpaired” mean again?
Well, all of the photos are of single items that are associated with pairs. The most common of these are gloves. But you’ll also see many socks and shoes. And then there are the less common, more esoteric items: ear plugs, playing cards, etc.
Do you place or pose these items?
No. Never. I photograph them as I found them and I leave them right where they are after I’m done taking the photo.
Is this art?
I’ve gotten this question a few times. Sometimes it’s not even a question, but a statement: “this isn’t really art.” So my answer to this question is pretty simple. If you don’t think it’s art, that’s fine. In my mind these photos and the stories I’ve written based on some of them – particularly in aggregate – provide a different view of our world.
Why the stories?
As I say on the “About” page, the images began to bother me and then inspire me. That inspiration led to the additive creation of the stories.
Are these true stories?
Nope, they’re fictional. But you will recognize one character in them: Moscow itself. They are all set in the town. They all start at the location where I found and photographed the unpaired item. The locations are real. Some of the people are inspired by locals, but as the lawyers say “they are used fictionally.”
Who’s the tall, skinny guy in all of the stories.
Yeah… you may have guessed it: that’s me.