The core of my series, «The Dog is Missing, The Dog is Missing, The Dog is Missing, ” is a lost pet announcement. Using the technique of printmaking, I explore the nature of multiplicity, as the work’s meaning is revealed precisely through its editions.
The engagement with engraving supports the central idea: it visualizes the mounting internal tension caused by a sense of powerlessness. In extraordinary situations, such as the loss of a beloved pet, people, in an attempt to regain a semblance of control, often engage in repetitive actions. Leaflet printing is one of the few accessible ways to influence the situation, even minimally. People strive to execute this action with triple intensity, subconsciously hoping that it will fix everything. However, it often merely becomes a means of expressing anxiety rather than solving the problem. This feeling of loss of control and despair is reflected in the work’s visual style.
The project consists of 50 works. I created five matrices, and from each, I made ten prints. I am using cardboard as the matrix material. It is less stable than traditional materials and thus degrades gradually with each new print. The imperfection and impermanence of this material cause each subsequent print to differ more from the last, visually «aging» and deteriorating. In this way, I create the effect of flyers for lost dogs that have hung on the street for a long time and have been damaged by rain, wind, and time.
Artwork size: 210×297 mm
Photography: Sofia Ivanova, Polina Mansurova, Aleksandra Pleshkova