tim tregubov — online profile
		biography
		In introducing myself as a person and visual communicator to you, I want to share my forming experiences and influences even though they were on my development as a creative person rather than simply on my artistic sensibilities. It may be interesting if I recount some important moments that affected my world view.        Since early childhood I have lived in a creative, artistic environment. My mother is a traditional embroidery artist, one of only several who practice this art. My father, as well as being a parish priest, is an iconographer of the Byzantine style. My grandmother was a well-known theater and film actress, and my grandfather was first an opera singer and then a voice teacher while they lived in Russia. My parents brought me up in a different environment and culture than Claremont, NH,—not to mention that my first language was Russian.        I have been surrounded by my parent's friends, students, and colleagues. So many people of creativity whether artists, scientists, artisans, or writers, have participated in my biography, however minutely, that their cooperative presence cannot be ignored from my development.        I suppose that my first artistic impressions were that of my dad's egg tempera painting. Although my interests in early youth were very scattered, I used to come into my dad's studio and sit and watch his brush create. I have since had an interest in art and the very concept of creating. In elementary school my parents bought me my first camera. I played around with it, and after a while my dad let me graduate to his Olympus OM-10.        My dad was an avid photographer at that time, and his involvement has most certainly been passed on to me along with the book, The Hasselblad Manual, by Ernst Wildi. I would rather have inherited the Hasselblad camera itself, which, regrettably, he sold. Photography has been a big interest in my life. I still remember my dad bringing back the pictures from the lab and telling me that I "had an eye." That moment was important to me in understanding that people have different ways of perceiving things.        I owe a lot to my best friend of some time ago who introduced me to computers. I became very involved and interested in them and spent quite a bit of time playing, learning, and working with them. Now, most of my time is spent on computers, and I could not live without them. Another person, a close friend of my family's introduced me to the medium of video. I worked as a grip and later as an associate producer. Not only did I have an opportunity to work with him in different situations and learn about his profession, I also was able to travel extensively with him. Creating documentaries, we traveled to places I would not have seen otherwise, such as Alaska. I was able to learn about the artistic possibilities of electronic media. I have been home schooled since seventh grade, and that has provided me with the greatest opportunity to pursue my interests. I have had the time and the freedom to participate in any creative task. Part of this time, I participated in a performing art—singing. As I have mentioned, my grandfather is a teacher of voice. I took vocal/opera lessons with him for over five years. He was interested in me professionally as I had the voice and talent to be a singer. I participated in recitals and gained a sense of performing in front of an audience.        Home schooling also provided me with the opportunity to take a temporary job as an interpreter. I worked for Project Harmony of New Hampshire for several of their programs as a English/Russian interpreter. I was surprised by how much such an experience affected my world view. Not only did I work for a great boss, but I also met and spent intensive time with people from my parents' country that I would not have met otherwise.        There are several books that have influenced me greatly. One is a book that my dad received from the Meriden-Stinehour Printing Company, which also printed my dad's book: The Light of Christ. The book was In Spite of Everything, Yes, edited by Ralph and Caroline Steiner. It is a collection of "yes" photographer's works. It is inspirational in every possible way. The images are awe-inspiring in their truth about this world. They convey a sense of life and love throughout. A part of the introduction written by Ralph Steiner reads: "The ‘yes' sayers ... We are dealing with the particular ability to see the world and in spite of everything dark and discouraging to rejoice in evidence of ‘yes.' ... These photographers are not ashamed to see compassion, grace, energy, and the capacity for survival in many kinds of people. Their eyes are open to beauty—a very unfashionable word—landscapes, in interiors, and in natural or manmade objects. To them, a quiet, understated countryside may say ‘yes,' as well as an awesome, dramatic one. They may lift our spirits with an eye-stretching, distant view, or by the intimacy of an object seen in loving close-up. And, thank God, they have not lost their sense of humor." I have partaken of the vision presented in the book and have become a communicant.        Another important artist to me has been Scott Mutter. A collection of his photomontages in the book, Surrational Images, has been instrumental in my undertaking computer image manipulation as a method to bring together a single image with an expression of vision. Martin Krause says in the introduction, "Photomonteurs have the capacity for stacking one truth upon another, of seeing beyond sight and making seen, and, once done, of truly creating a thing that is to be believed." His methods and images, inspired me to push my limits of expression.        Yet most important to me throughout my development has been that my parents always supported and pushed me in any interest that I would take up. Their support was strong, universal, and always positive. Whatever interest I had, my dad would tell me amazing facts, and connect that particular interest to a bigger picture. When I was interested in science, for instance, we would have endless discussions about space, time, light, and God.        My dad's influence on my interests is very strong. During the past several years we operated a printing press. The Church bought it at my dad's instigation, because of his experience of working in a print shop. My dad and I have been operating it and printing both the church quarterly journal and some of my dad's artwork. This experience was essential to my then new interest in visual arts and communication.        Somehow the people and events in my life have imbued me with a sense of appreciation for the beauty of this world, even with all its ugly qualities. As each day passes, my eyes see, and my vision develops. Especially because of my parents, I see things and think about them in a deeper way than just shallow occurrence or just physical characteristics. My vision stems from many variables in my life, some of which I have mentioned. I believe that my development both as an artist and a person can largely be attributed to the influence from my parents, however much I might now rebelliously, shallowly and quite temporarily begrudge it.
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