In its art practice, the “The Fourth Altitude” group, whose participants originally worked in fashion industry, ironically studies mass culture and female images that it imposes. The artists themselves describe their works as “politically correct trash dreaminess”. The “Feat” series of photos is a delicate parody on the folklore fable about the Three Bogatyrs built on gender inversion. In the work from the MMOMA collection the group participants appear in the futuristic costumes of space explorers, Amazons of the future with heavy make up. In the center of the composition there is a child, a new human being, and it is up to the warrior heroines to bring him to the bright future.  

There are several levels of meaning inherent to the work. On the surface the viewer can recall the daily heroism of a mother as the keeper of the hearth. On the other hand, the photo evokes associations with folklore mythology, according to which the earth rests on three whales. The composition refers the viewer to the classic iconographic canon of the image of Madonna with a Child and the Saints. The set-up of the scene pictured reminds one of an advertising poster or a Socialist Realist painting due to the same vivid imagery. Such series of associations openly encourage the viewers to perform a feat of their own.

Anastasia Maltseva