The images take the viewer to a place, filled with fun, joy and happiness. Place, free from troubles and worries, where one is surrounded by love and care and not burdened by the hardness of the outside world to the place of Oleksandr’s childhood.
Leaving the village at the age of 20 and spending 16 years away, didn’t erase Oleksandr’s memory of his birthplace. The memory of a spending long hot summer days by the river or lake, fishing in the early hours of daybreak, riding a bike or playing the endless outdoor games with friends, has drawn Oleksandr to this place for many years.
Using the camera as a tool to investigate his past, Oleksandr returned to his childhood place and immersed himself into its familiar surroundings, revisiting the memories and reliving the moments from the time when he was a boy. Having a desire to understand his past and identify its role in forming his identity, Oleksandr used his family, friends and random people as models placed within the scenes from his memories and dreams.
As the title of the series suggests, the author (dreamt of) wanted to experience his childhood and the sense of place, he wanted to taste a “hint of summer” once again. When Oleksandr returned to the streets, he roamed as a boy, they were different. They felt different. The time didn’t stand still throughout the years and everything had changed.
Although, he felt there at home and was overwhelmed by memories, Oleksandr saw himself as a visitor now. He saw himself as an outsider, who left that place long time ago. However, he will definitely return there again and again, driven by the powerful force of longing and nostalgia, but he’s an outsider now. Outsider, who can only find “the summer” in his dreams and memories and those streets, lakes and meadows as a someone else’s playground for making their own memories.
About the author:
Oleksandr Ivanchenko was born in Sumy, Ukraine in 1980. Currently, he lives and works in London, United Kingdom. Oleksandr Graduated from Farnborough College of technology with BA (Hons) in Media Production (Photography) in 2013.Since graduation, he has been freelancing and working on his own photographic projects. His work has been exhibited in several group exhibitions in UK and featured in online magazines, such as Phases, FotoRoom (via Phases), iGNANT and PhotoArtMag.
