Natalya Proskurova is a professional photographer and golfer from St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2012 she started the Golfart project. Golfart is a collection of photos, paintings and art objects about golf. Each work can be either an interior decoration or a prize for a golf tournament. Kolesnikova does not photograph on the golf course, on the golf course she plays golf. Inspired by the game, she returns to her studio and creates paintings and photographs using golf props .. balls, gloves, and clubs.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and journey to becoming an artist?
I was born in Belarus, after school, I went to study in Moscow, graduated from the Academy of Oil and Gas and having received a diploma, I realized that business was not for me. I decided to continue searching for my calling and life path. One day, after looking at a family album, I didn’t find a single beautiful photograph there, and for the sake of my family, I took a photography course. And oh happiness, I quickly realized that photography is my life’s work. My family and I travelled a lot and once 15 years ago we stayed in France in a very beautiful hotel with a golf course, we decided to try it, and since then golf has not let us go. At first, I played and photographed golf at the same time, but in the end, everything didn’t work out well enough, I was distracted. Then I decided to try photographing still life in the studio. I took my balls, clubs, and old shoes with me and completely immersed myself in taking photos without being distracted by the game. And everything worked out, I found my style – still life’s using golf props. I did my first exhibition of golf work in St. Tropez and then the name GolfArt was born.
When did you develop your love of golf, and where is your favourite place to play?
My husband and I always play together. In 2019, I was the women’s captain of the Strawberry Hills Golf Club and proposed holding a tournament where only couples play! I love promoting golf and getting as many families involved in the game as possible. And I do this with the help of art.
Can you tell us about your Man Plays Golf series?
Everything in the world is changing rapidly, and new technologies are appearing in art. I admit, at first I denied the use of artificial intelligence in creativity. But then I decided to immerse myself in it and, having understood it, I realized that thanks to it, artists have new opportunities to express their thoughts. A MAN PLAYS GOLF The “Man Plays Golf” project was created in the collaboration of two intellects – human and artificial, following the well-known expression “All life is a game.”Perhaps someone thinks that AI makes art impersonal and deprives of authorship, but this is not for me. I was able to make friends with him, realizing that he is imperfect, and has defects in vision, but playing in the same flight, we hit the hole. AI is just an artistic tool to help visualize my idea: playing golf is a great art. The following etiquette, accepting successes and failures, and observing traditions – all these skills are metamorphed in the project by the choice of a particular author and his style of writing. The project presents 18 exclusive works according to the number of holes on the golf course. Each work is a synthesis of artificial intelligence, the imagination of the authors and the style of the famous artist.
Your recent series was a departure from golf and featured food still-life photography. Can you tell us about your inspiration for these images?
My creativity is not limited to golf. There are many topics that I cover with the help of photographs. For example, a series of still lifes OUTSIDE AND INSIDE OUTSIDE AND INSIDE A bitten pear, a fig turned inside out, bread crumbs and lemon slices – perhaps an unexpected, but very suitable way for me to study the world with sincere, almost child-like research interest. Working with still-life photography allows you to show this interest through penetration into the depths of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Sometimes the very shape and texture suggest an action: cut, break, crush. And also squeeze and bite. And even eat it. This approach allows us to metaphorize “adult” ways of studying the world, concentrating on an important principle – recognizing the beauty of any state, regardless of external manifestations. A lovely cellulite lime peel, an onion sprouted with lilac buds. Such aestheticization works to accept imperfection, otherness and difference while maintaining unity and equality.
Which artists inspire you?
When I need inspiration, I always open an album by Marc Chagall, Vasily Kandinsky, and Still lifes by Irving Penn for me an example of feeling the form and beauty of changing the state of objects.
What are you working on currently?
My current project is related to golf… in it, I reveal that side of the player that they often want to hide, the desire to cheat, to act dishonestly, to be deceitful and to win at any cost.
https://www.instagram.com/golfart.ru/
https://www.instagram.com/proskurova_photo/
