Review: Superstar - Lena Semenkova Feature

by NDK Creative Artist

A 1950s television set bleeds black ichor from four large holes etched in its dead face. The ichor forms a dark puddle on the floor.

Between two lit lampshades on its top kneels a young woman frozen in a striking dramatic pose. She appears to be imitating the burlesque vaudeville of bygone days; her arms appealing dramatically, embracing the air, and the spotlights of the living room lamps against the background of a soft green wall in shadow, on which are hung photographs, postcards, and a framed news clipping of some accomplishment, that has yellowed with age.

The title is emblazoned down the right hand margin. Lena mentioned in our interview that she was not too happy with this particular image and so I elected not to pursue the matter with her, preferring to make my own conclusions.

I believe Superstar says something about our society today, the hopes and aspirations that lead young people to chase the spotlight, heedless of what it is they’re actually supporting and blinded by the glamor and people who are products, rather than real people that inspire them to reach for the elusive stars.

As always, for me, when I look at Lena’s imagery I’m struck by the choices of simple symbols which knit together in such a way as to create a complex high-impact message which impacts and impinges immediately upon the consciousness in an unmistakable way. You get it.

You get it immediately. And that to me is a demonstration of immense ability, even if the rendition is not as sophisticated as the Psychobitchua would like to achieve. The overall impact captures all the hopes, dreams and ambitions that we have each entertained at some point in our lives, when we stared at the box and wished we were part of its magic.

Were I to choose its title, I might have been tempted to call this one Above the Violence, except that the image seems to say something more powerful, it harks back to the live show, to the immediacy of vaudeville and theater, and plays when performers and audience interacted.

Feature Index

1. Lena Semenkova - Camouflage of Contradictions
2. Digital Art and Photomanipulation
3. Review: The Imitator
4. Review: The Waiting
5. Review: Superstar
6. Interview Part 1
7. Review: The Kingdom
8. Review: Like a Bird
9. Interview Part 2
10. Review: Ghost Rider
11. Review: All the snowflakes must die
12. Interview Part 3
13. Review: Red Skull
14. Review: Prisoner of Conscience
15. Review: War
16. Conclusion

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If you'd rather we did all the hard work, you're in luck. Here's a list of articles that are related to this one:

• Review: The Waiting - Lena Semenkova Feature
• Review: The Imitator - Lena Semenkova Feature
• Review: Prisoner of Conscience - Lena Semenkova Feature
• Review: Like a Bird - Lena Semenkova Feature
• Review: Red Skull - Lena Semenkova Feature