MOTHERLAND by Simon Roberts

with an introduction by Rosamund Bartlett

The result of photographer Simon Roberts’ one year journey, Motherland is a bold visual statement about the nature of contemporary Russia, fifteen years after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Publication

7 March 2007

Retail price

UK£25

Binding

Hardback

Category

Photography, Travel

ISBN	10
	13

1-905712-03-0

978-1-905712-03-8

Extent

192 pages

Trim size

9.5 x 7.5 inches / 240 x 192 mm

Photographs

152 Colour

Design

Fuel / www.fuel-design.com

Motherland website

Simon Roberts travelled throughout Russia between July 2004 and August 2005, making pictures in over 200 locations and creating one of the most extensive, comprehensive photographic accounts of this vast country by a Westerner. His images are not clichéd representations of a Russia ground down by poverty and despair; rather, he presents a beautiful and awe-inspiring land, with a dignified people empowered by a growing optimism and a deep rooted sense of national esteem. Intimate and revealing portraits of contemporary Russians show us a diverse people, united by a sense of common identity and connected by a shared love of 'the Motherland', while breathtaking landscapes reveal the complexity and uniqueness of the country.

The book follows Roberts’ journey chronologically (using a map of his journey as its contents page). The photographs are accompanied by key quotes by literary and political figures that have shaped Russia's modern identity, illuminating the historical ideals of Holy Rus and the concept of 'the Motherland', as well as Roberts’ own extended informative captions. The book’s fascinating introduction by Russian literature expert Rosamund Bartlett provides a context for the photographs, by presenting and discussing the concept of ‘the Motherland’ within Russian history.

Alexander Zhukov and Pavel Lipatov, Esso, Kamchatka, October 2004

“Motherland is a beautifully resolved body of work and the pervading air of melancholy, so suited the subject. The editing together of landscapes and figure studies work powerfully together – and Simon’s eye for the special detail that lifts a picture above a record to become a kind of poetry is evident in every image.”
Martin Barnes, Curator V&A

“A remarkable photo-essay”
Robert McCrum, The Observer

Simon Roberts was born in London in 1974 and studied Human Geography at Sheffield University. He began work as a photographer in 1997 and his photo-essays have been widely published throughout the world, including in Details, Esquire, the Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and The Sunday Times. Awards for his work include the Ian Parry Scholarship (London 1998) and the Magenta Foundation Bright Spark Award (Toronto 2006). He lives with his wife and daughter in Brighton, England.

For further information, please visit the Motherland website.

: “Motherland is published by Chris Boot, £20. Motherland the exhibition is at Photofusion, Brixton, 13th April – 26th May.”