Western Promises
…a zine about ex-Soviet Georgia shot with the 50mm
Being a Brit with international intentions comes with a few drawbacks these days. One of them is that, for half the year, 27 European countries are off-limits. A Brexit consequence that means people like me must look elsewhere for our photographic fodder. But when one door closes, another one opens. And that restriction, in August of 2023 at least, brought the small ex-Soviet state of Georgia into play – a destination I may not have considered otherwise.
Arriving in the Georgian capital, I scratch around for project ideas. Martin Parr's book on Tbilisi, which includes an essay by Georgian writer Aka Morchiladze, provided some early inspiration. But it was the political graffiti on almost every wall that really grabbed my attention. If those spray-painted slogans are true, the birthplace of Josef Stalin has a steadfast solidarity with Ukraine, holds a deep-seated resentment towards their former imperial rulers in Russia, and is determined to reinvent itself as an EU nation. I dug deeper and found that, like most things in life, the reality is far more nuanced.
Photographically, I was ready to try new things. After six years shooting solely with a 35mm equivalent lens, I noticed that sometimes my frames are busy, and I need to crop in. So, I parked the X100F, and with a 50mm equivalent from a second-hand shop in Istanbul, I took out the wife’s X-E3. The change was a breath of fresh air. During our three months in Georgia, it became my primary set-up, and I made thirty-three of the thirty-nine photographs in this series with it.
The 50mm altered my mindset. It simplified my thinking and got me closer to the action. The narrative was front of mind, and I became more intentional. Maybe for the first time, I began identifying complementary images while out shooting rather than when back home browsing my SD cards. Detail shots were no longer an afterthought.
Another difference with this project was my approach to writing. Usually, my essays come towards the end of my time in a place or after I have left. In Georgia, I started writing much earlier. And this added to the intentionality. By forming a narrative while still in the country, I thought about potential images in advance, reshot some photographs and chatted to locals about the themes I had in mind.
That said, the average Georgian doesn’t speak much English. So, making connections and getting permission for documentary photography was not always easy. Things are changing with the younger generation as English begins to replace Russian as a second language. But, this time round, negotiating access to certain places was a challenge, and I got pushback while photographing trains, oil tanks, underground stations, churches and casinos - a hangover, perhaps, from the communist era.
One fading feature of Tbilisi is the remnants of its Soviet past. Brutalist architects were popular with socialist and communist governments. They prioritise function over decorative design and showcase building materials and structural elements. The style began in 1950s Britain and influenced my fonts, layouts, and decision to choose Blurb’s trade book with its uncoated paper. The autumnal colour palette gives a sense that something has to die out before something new can take its place. And speaks to the new identity Georgia is attempting to forge. To accentuate this point, I dropped the vibrance and increased the saturation in post-production. And to mirror the brutalist aesthetic, I overlapped some of the images – a decision I feel also helps to convey the complexity of the Russia-Georgia-Europe-Ukraine dynamic.
Usually, I find choosing a cover picture difficult, but this time, the title was my stumbling block. Georgia has spent a large part of its history under threat. Russia and its empires to the north and Turkey and its empires to the south pushed the country to the edge of extinction. Through these challenges, the Georgian language and alphabet have survived. So, in recognition, this zine includes three Georgian idioms that complement the narrative and provide a framework to sequence the images. Eventually, I landed on Western Promises1 - a title that reflects Georgia’s westward gaze and the assurances European and US politicians made to them. It is also a twist on the film Eastern Promises (2007), which has a plot involving Russian gangsters, the exploitation of people from the former Soviet Union and hopes for the future.
დაბალი ღობე
The English translation of this Georgian idiom is "to be a low fence". It describes someone who is powerless and often gets bullied.
Despite not having Georgia on my radar before this year, she did not disappoint - there was great food, good wine, and even a photography scene. The Tbilisi Photo Festival has been running since 2010 and was on while we were there. The festival promotes South Caucasian contemporary photographers and more well-known international names. Patti Smith was in town for the launch of her collaboration with the Soundwalk Collective. If you find yourself in Tbilisi, the Photography & Multimedia Museum and FOTOGRAFIA are worth a visit.
So, my fifth and final zine of 2023 contains 39 images and a 1,600-word essay and is available on the Blurb website.2 The photographs were taken mainly in Tbilisi between August and November 2023. But also in the nearby towns of Gori, Mtskheta, Sighnaghi and Uplistsikhe. To preview it in full or purchase a copy, click here.
Acknowledgements: Making a zine is not a solo sport. Aside from the good people of Georgia who made us feel welcome and appear in the photographs, the Culture Trip website explained their Georgian idioms. Also, being a member of the RAW Society has been invaluable - the advice and encouragement of Jorge Delgado-Ureña helped me figure out how best to express what I wanted to say. And then, there's the missus, my wingman and photographic foil, who distracts subjects, listens to my essay, and helps me sequence and edit.
This edition is so stunning Ben! It's not very usual to see some photos from Georgia and you work is really beautiful! With the narrative of your photography journey, it brings emotions!
I liked you article about Georgia. I was in Georgia last year as well. It is a very interesting country, full of history, culture and traditions. I followed the steps of Arabic, Persian and Soviet traces in the country. I also visited Gori, following the steps of Stalin. I highly recommend a trip to this country, before the political situation makes it difficult to visit.