Yarina A ‘Presenting‘ by Goncharov
The influx of fresh talent into the Met Art model talent pool continues unabated. Among the more recent arrivals we find Yarina A, a leggy, auburn-haired, 19-year-old newcomer from Ukraine.
This is a casual, off-the-cuff effort from contributing photographer Goncharov. There’s little, if any, attention to art direction, props, costuming, thematic content, or any technical complexity. This stripped-down, no-frills presentation doesn’t distract attention from the model and he captures her in enough different poses and compositions to allow the viewer to get a complete look at Yarina’s physical attributes as well as developing some sense of her modeling abilities.
The most distracting element of the set is the background. Yarina A poses in an arched doorway. The arch has been painted, in trompe l’oeil fashion, to resemble a brick masonry column complete with clinging vines. Another wall, this one with an actual (as opposed to virtual) mirror, is also painted in a stonework pattern. The main wall in the background is pale blue sky dotted with wispy clouds and soaring birds. It’s an unusual setting, to be sure, but I’m not certain it adds much to the collection. Still, at its most effective, in shots like #024 and #025, the mixture of actual, reflected, and fake elements is intriguing.
My favorite images from the series tend to be those that minimize the background and fill the frame with Yarina A. This young model — she’s only 19 — has a great shape and I suspect she may have some training in dance, or at least her posing suggests this. There’s virtually no background at all in #051, a headshot captured while Yarina is supine on the floor, and it’s a standout in “Presenting.” The model has a relaxed, natural countenance in #058, a shot that also conveys the sculptural elegance of her belly and hips. And while the background is somewhat cluttered in #073, it’s still lovely figure study of a truly lovely figure.
Preview Gallery: Presenting Yarina A by Goncharov.
Art Nude Models: Met Art information.
