John LeKay: Asya, can you please tell me about your background, where you were born and where you live today?

Asya Arteyeva: I was born in Moldova, a small but beautiful country rich on picturesque landscapes, famous for its wine and hospitable people. At the age of 5 my family and I had to move to Ukraine because my motherland became a dangerous place to live. The war was starting between Moldova and Prednestrovie. My father is from Ukraine so we settled not far from his parents. I consider myself Ukrainian because Ukrainian blood is running in my veins.

Now I live in Kirovograd, a town most of the readers of Heyoka magazine have probably never even heard of. It is small and quiet. Perhaps someday I'll move to a bigger city, Kiev maybe. But I have to graduate from my University first.

JL: I read about Kirovograd. It looks like a beautiful place to live.  What subjects are you majoring in and studying at University? 

Asya Arteyeva: There are three of them English, German and foreign literature. My future profession is a teacher.

JL: I thought you would say acting, film or art. You have a great photographic sense about your choice in images. Have you studied acting or art by the way?

Asya Arteyeva: Thank you for the compliment. I've never studied anything like that in any educational establishment. But I like art and being very curious from nature, I learn as much as possible about the thing I like myself. I watch a lot of movies, adore music, read a lot of books, study the work of famous painters and paint a little.  (I consider painting to be one of the best  ways of meditation.)  As for acting, perhaps my skill is the result of being close to art and some natural sensibility.       
 

 

JL: When did you first start taking photographs?

Asya: It's a very romantic story! :) It was a beginning of autumn, the sky was gray and it was about to rain. I came into a small shop to buy something, while I was doing that it started raining. Standing in the porch in silent contemplation of people rushing up and down the street, I felt someone watching me.  It was a man with a camera, amateur photographer, Mikhail Poliarnyi; thanks to whom I discovered a photo model in myself. He took some nice pictures of me fancying with the rain on the background. One of his portraits is still hanging on the wall of my mother's bedroom. Then he invited me to his studio to make a test shooting.

JL:  Was this in Kirovograd or Moldova?

Asya Arteyeva: In Kirovograd.  I have been living there since I was five.

JL: What does your mother think about you being a photo model?

Asya Arteveya: At first she worried very much; we had quarreled a lot because of my shootings. It is understandable, mothers always worry and suspect something, trying to protect their children, but now she is the one most concerned about my modeling career. She changed her attitude to it, as soon as she saw the results and talked to the people I've worked with. I believe now she is almost at ease about it. Even the tricky point of doing nudes is almost ok with her

JL: Have you always felt comfortable with nudity or is this something that developed over time?

 

Asya Arteyeva: I feel comfortable with nudity because I take part in art-nude projects only; in which my body, my feminine beauty is highly regarded and which are not intended for adult sites or magazines, dealing with hardcore erotics or pornography. I am not ashamed of my naked body, because there's nothing to be ashamed of.:-)  I feel a close connection with nature, I am a part of it, so why hide a piece of nature if it looks good?

JL: When you work with photographers, do you tell them before hand exactly how much nudity you are comfortable with and where do you draw the line?

Asya Arteyeva: Before collaborating with a certain person I learn everything I can about him. I get acquainted with his work, the projects he took part in, the models he coped with... Everything. That helps me 1) be sure that the work is secure and doesn't contradict my rules 2) understand what this person expects of our collaboration, what are his artistic preferences. That is by all means very important for both of us. My rules are simple: 1. no genitalia seen in the shot, 2. no provoking, vulgar, rude poses 3. the shooting must not be intended for the adult sites. Usually I mention them beforehand for any case, but as a rule there's even no need in it.

JL: What do you think is the distinction between pornography and erotica?  Do you think this is subjective, perception, intention or something else?

Asya Arteyeva: It is easy. Pornography tends to humiliate a woman's nature, to kill her uniqueness. The woman in pornography looks faceless, soulless, heartless, just an object endowed with sexual characters. Pornography is intended to arouse some animal instincts, not more. Fine art nude projects (not erotica, because there is also a slight difference) are full of sensuality. They glorify the beauty of a woman's body, the perfection of nature. 

 

JL: What advice would you give to other young women starting out as a photo model, as to how to deal with photographers?

Asya Arteyeve: Google rules. :-D Girls often forget about it. Learn as much as possible about the photographer from all possible sources. That will protect you from people that are let's say more interested in you like a woman, but not a model. Professional photographers with good portfolios are absolutely safe to work with as a rule.  Secondly, googling lets you learn about the style, the mood, the genre of the artist, thanks to what you get ready for the shooting. For example, before coming to Retroatelier, I learned some important facts about art deco, art nouveau, and pin-up styles, looked through some vintage photos and pictures, to understand better what I would be taking part in. Photo Modeling is not only about the physical beauty. I think that the model should be curious, open-hearted, eagerly learning and creative. That's what I am trying to be! :-)

JL: Who are some of your favorite models or actresses that inspire your work?

Asya Arteyeva: I am very impressed and inspired by such strong, charismatic, talented and beautiful women as Angelina Jolie,  Scarlett Johannson... Betcee May you interviewed recently is also very inspiring.

JL: Can you please tell me about the photo with the 3 dogs on leashes that look like Russian wolf hybrids. I really like this one. Looks chaotic, Goth-like, you look really tough. It's also humorous.

Asya Arteyeva: I like it very much too. Although it's chaotic and Goth-like, maybe even a little bit aggressive. I agree with you that it is humorous too. The dogs look kind and I'm smiling as if I am just having fun being a cruel little girl wearing a black dress and two funny buns. The dynamics of the shot, and the tones, and the background of the picture make it truly strong and intense.

JL: Where did you take this photo, what is that building behind you and who is the photographer?

Asya Arteyeva: You will laugh, the shot was taken on the balcony of the author, with simple daylight and without any dogs.) That 's what I call pure talent. Kassandra, or Elena Chernenko is a great artist, I had the honor to work with, who can produce masterpieces without expensive technical equipment. Her fantasy is inexhaustible and ideas are always fresh and bright.

JL: What about the beautiful black and white photo of you holding pearls that look like a rosary and how this photo came about?

Asya Arteyeva: This is the photo from the series dedicated to great Zeigfeld, the famous photo artist of 1920's-1930's. I consider it to be one of the best pictures in my portfolio. The mood is appropriate here, and it seems to be not just a picture of a young girl with pearls, but a picture with some story, with a secret message... It seems to be deep! That's my aim in being a model. To make the pictures look alive and deep.

JL: Yes it really is. Looks like a photo by Alfred Cheney Johnston.  Who took this photo by the way?

Asya Arteyeva: The shot was made in Retroatelier, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine by a friendly team of wonderful people, led by Aleksey Galushkov, a very talented actor, producer and artist, that had invented an alternative varient of  the Time Machine.:-) They can send anyone to the past. you can check out their site www.marthasgirls.com and on their lj. 

I think retro theme is a great source of inspiration and I enjoy working with Retroatelier, that's why I have so many retro images in my portfolio. But of course, it's not the only thing I am interested in.

 

 

JL: These Retroatelier photos of you are simply amazing. The first thought that came to my mind seeing the photo of you lying on the tiger print bedspread was the film "The Outlaw" by Howard Hughes, with Jane Russell lying in the hay stack.

Asya Arteyeva: Unfortunately I haven't seen "The Outlaw", but I looked at the pictures on the net... don't you think that Jane looks a bit aggressive, when I look gentle?

 

JL: Yes that's true, she does look aggressive in some of them. Some are softer and gentle like yours. See here.  I was thinking more in terms of composition, eyebrow shape, eye color, hair, shoulders and neck etc. The overall effect and sentiment.

Asya Arteyeva:  Yes, your comparison is appropriate enough. I wouldn't say that we are alike with Jane, but the mood, the style, the light, the pose make us look similar. That was our goal during the shooting, to make me look like a Hollywood diva of that time. The similarity proves that we have succeeded, that pleases me of course.

JL: Have you done any acting or plan to do so? Have you made any films?

Asya Arteyeva: I have never done that. But I am very  enthusiastic about it.  I already have some art projects I am going to take part in, that are connected with video, but they are not realized yet. Hope they will lead me to film industry, I would  love to challenge myself in this sphere.

By the way, here you can see flash video, made by Kassandra with me here.  It's dark and mysterious, but I love it. I hope in future we'll do some other things of that kind.

JL: What about photography? Do you also take photos?

Asya Arteyeva:  Not yet, I don't have a good camera at the moment. But I hope to try myself in photography as well. But, frankly speaking, I feel myself more a model, than photographer.

JL: I was looking at the images of you with the car and Cindy Sherman's earlier work came to mind.

Asya Arteyeva: Hmm... interesting! What drew you to the thought of her? 

JL;  Something about the pose again. Clothing perhaps. Not the physical appearance. See here.

 

 

JL: : Who took the photo of you looking like a gypsy smoking a cigarette?. This is is great!!!

Asya Arteyeva: " This is Retroatelier again. The image is not actually of a gypsy, it's more like a "European lady dressed like Turkish". love it myself. Thank you.)

JL: Is their a social, humanitarian or environmental cause that interests you by the way that you would like to help raise awareness about and do you think that people in the public eye, actors models musicians, artists, have a social responsibility to use their notoriety to help in this way?

Asya Arteyeva: Sure! There are so many social problems nowadays to be concerned with. I don't consider myself notorious, but I highly respect artists, singers and actors, that use their popularity to drive society's attention to such important issues as life in the countries of the third world, exhaustion of the world resources, AIDS and other world-spread dangerous diseases.

Personally I would also like to influence somehow on the women's beauty standard and the image of the perfect woman. The one we've got now, which is broadcasted on TV, published in fashion magazines I would call morbid. It pushes young girls to plastic surgery, makes them anorexic and  ugly as a whole. What can be worse than a peroxide blonde, skinny, with implant breasts, silicon lips and small Michael Jackson-nose! I am not the perfection, not 90-60-90, but I am all natural,  that's why I look good in photos. I would be happy if I could effect people's minds on this point.

JL: Are you working on any new projects?

Asya Arteyeva: I keep on working with Kassandra. There will be an exhibition of her works, where mine will go too. Retroatelier often invites me, because retro theme is simply inexhaustible and extremely interesting to explore. I also often take part in different art projects of other artists, the results of which you will soon be able to see on my page.  I  am also planning a small tour over Russia because there are a lot of people there I would love to work with.

See more photos Here