I love the expressions in these portraits. The slightly cheeky, innocent girl with pleading eyes. The doleful enigmatic expression of the teenager, possibly sulky, possibly scared. Then the defiant, challenging young woman. The following images in the series hint at context; the collections of Spice Girls and Harry Potter memorabilia could belong to any millennial young woman in the West.
The young woman wears a shirt emblazoned with the words ‘attraction’ and ‘seduction’. She is surrounded by the detritus of adult life – what looks like passport photos, identity cards, possibly a payslip or official document, as well as sunglasses, a hat and novelty tights. Alongside the photography equipment and photographs, is a transparent shirt and a ‘slinky’. For me, this image captures that moment when a young woman emerges as an adult with her own clear identity and character. She is saying, ‘this is who I am’.
These photographs are autobiographical – the items from popular culture are the artist’s own childhood treasures, with models posing as her younger self. In many ways, the images of childhood and adolescence are universal, at least in Western culture, but seen through the lens of the war in Ukraine, they become far more poignant. Is it possible to maintain the innocence and naivety of childhood when your home has been invaded? What happens to the hearts and minds of the children and young people who grow up in such circumstances? How do you hold on to your heritage when your country is fighting for its independence? Polina Polikarpova’s series Childhood Ballad is a glimpse into the childhood of one person, yet at the same time, the significant questions it raises are inherent across the nation.
Images courtesy of Polina Polikarpova
