©Alex Bianco, Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar Book Cover, published by Overlapse

Given the title of this beautifully designed monograph, Meat, Fish, and Aubergine Caviar, be prepared for a visual feast that both satisfies while causing occasional bouts of laughter and dyspepsia as it must have done to the photographer, Alex Blanco. This is a love story that addresses complications imposed by war, family, isolation, and expatriate yearning for elements of home. Ms. Blanco depicts her parents and her birthplace of Odesa, Ukraine with an eye laden with nostalgia and concern over a period of years during which her parents confront the vicissitudes of aging.  Her myriad portraits of each parent glaringly depict the unspoken humor and narcissism of her mother and the subdued remoteness of her father.  Odesa and its bounty of fruits, vegetables, sea, and strand occupies a vital visual role in this family saga.

©Alex Bianco, Spread from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

The monograph includes three recipes for the specialties of Odesa and home that provide so much more than a cooking guide as Ms. Blanco’s mother adds verbal sauciness to the mix.  This is no Like Water for Chocolate where magical realism takes hold of the protagonist but rather a stark realism where the magic lies in the ways in which Ms. Blanco graphically and often comically portrays her parents (particularly her mother).  One can only laugh at the bounty of fresh tomatoes caressing the heaving bosom of her mother’s peignoir in one portrait while another of her mother ironing clothes in the nude leaves one somewhat startled. Her mother’s varied portraits in provocative poses with a wide variety of Odessan props entertains while revealing so much more about the model.  The diverse images of her father sunbathing and exercising on the shores of the Black Sea (some in black and white and others in vivid color) are portraits of sensitivity and routine. One can sense definite differences in the way Ms. Blanco chooses to portray each of her parents.  The almost playful regard for her mother and her antics is noticeably absent in the more clinical view of her father.

©Alex Bianco, from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

The Black Sea and Odesa also play important roles in this family saga as the cornucopia of fruits and vegetables of the region play a prominent role throughout the monograph.  Food is a driving force as we see tables overflowing with local delicacies that merit their own portraits.  There are also numerous moments of familial gatherings over a meal with pointed references to the healing qualities of food as her father recovers from a serious illness.

©Alex Bianco, Spread from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

Ms. Blanco gives a poignant description of her intentions with the book:

“Meat Fish & Aubergine Caviar” is a project I have created between 2016 and 2021 in Odesa, Ukraine. Through this project I explore the themes of vulnerability, beauty, routine, and hope, focusing on the dynamics within family relationships. Within this selection of images, I aim to capture a range of emotions, from the heartbreaking sadness of not being able to see loved ones due to war, to the optimistic anticipation of a future reunion in my childhood home of Odesa.

One of the aspects that makes “Meat Fish & Aubergine Caviar” visually compelling is the depiction of the passage of time and its effect on my parents, who have become isolated from the outside world due to the devastating impact of the war. Through these photographs I aim to convey the profound beauty of their humanity and the intimacy found in their daily routines. It is a tender and bittersweet portrait of their lives.

“Meat Fish & Aubergine Caviar” is a poignant testament to the fragile and beautiful nature of life itself. It reminds us to cherish every moment we have with our loved ones and serves as a reflection on the importance of appreciating the connections that bind us together.”

©Alex Bianco, from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

Alex Blanco (b. 1988, Ukraine) has a master’s degree in film & Photographic studies from Leiden University and has completed a semester of Photography as an elective course at the Royal Academy of Art in the Hague. Interested in creating emotionally charged and deeply personal cinematic imagery, Blanco makes sure that each of her series resonates with her past memories and directly interacts with her present experiences. Her photography projects are highly intuitive and self-reflective. Currently Alex is based in Haarlem, the Netherlands

Meat, Fish and Aubergine Caviar is published by Overlapse and can be ordered at www.overlapse.com

Follow Alex Blanco on Instagram: @alexblancofoto

Follow Overlapse on Instagram: @overlapse

©Alex Bianco, from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, Spread from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, Spread from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, Spread from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, Spread from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, Spread from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse

©Alex Bianco, Spread from Meat, Fish, Aubergine Caviar, published by Overlapse