Alexander Tkachev

Alexander Tkachev was born in Ukraine, but now lives in Ohio, USA. He is in the medical profession and has been experimenting with alternative processes since 2012. His work is in Palladium printing, Gum bichromate over palladium, Gum bichromate, Cyanotypes, Bromoil and Lith printing.
Born: Ukraine, Russia, Lives: Ohio, USA.
Shows: Palladium printing, Gum bichromate over palladium, Gum bichromate, Cyanotypes, Bromoil and Lith printing.

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Alex Tkachev was born in Ukraine in 1949. When he was 12, his parents bought him a plastic 35 mm film camera. Since then photography has been an important part of his life. He grew up in a small Ukrainian village. Their small store did not have film, so he rode his bicycle 10 miles to buy them in the next town. That’s how his passion for photography began. Alexander never became a professional photographer.

He chose a medical profession and graduated from Dental School in Ukraine. Over 30 years he worked as a doctor, but his love for photography never stopped. Thus many nights have been spent in dark room, manipulating and using different techniques, abnormal processing, making numerous double negatives with changed contrast, sandwiching negatives, etc.
Living in Ukraine,he participated in many photo contests, exhibitions.

In 2002 Alexander Tkachev moved to USA. His silver print portfolios has been published in Fine Art Photography Magazines,such as Silvershotz, B&W, Color and Adore Noir. In 2012 his attention was captured by beauty of alt prints.

“It’s difficult to explain the feelings-he says-when you are holding in your hands a 11×14 inch alt print. All alternative processes give a different print – I can print the same image with different processes – but result is the same to me- I feel a joy,happiness, especially when i got what I wanted with final image. It’s pity that no computer screen can give people a real image of alt print. Even in museums and galleries images are displaying behind the glass You can not feel beauty behind the glass.
The reasons why I am in love with alternative processes are:
– handmade product (not a cliche)
– requires intensive labor
– unrepeatable
– unpredictable
– very personal: it’s very tight relation between me and what i am doing”

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