Captured keenly throughout the series is the
beauty of sorrow, and Riaboff’s sharp eye for
subjects with unique yet natural characteristics
give the viewers a sense of human vulnerability
and resilience, simultaneously.
The subjectivity of art is also central to
Riaboff’s work. “I am not trying to convey
to my viewers a secret meaning,” he said,
“The girl in my picture is just a girl.” Riaboff’s
portraiture pursues aesthetics, divorced from
any meaning or message imposed upon the
viewer by the artist. While Riaboff weaves
no intention through his photography, there
remains the transfer of something intangible;
what we derive from it becomes our own
unique experience.
38
inspadesmag.com