The Paducah Sun - A fresh look at Paducah

Photo contributed by Eugenia Maximova The photography of Eugenia Maximova, Paducah Arts Alliance's artist in residence, takes a fresh look at familiar landmarks, like the Columbia Theater, 500 Broadway. The photographer said she is fascinated by the historic buildings of downtown Paducah, which she sees as being "lost in space and time."

Photo contributed by Eugenia Maximova Artist in residence Eugenia Maximova said she has found plenty of subjects to photograph during her stay in Paducah, such as this building downtown. Maximova has traveled to other cities in the United States from her home in Vienna, Austria, but western Kentucky is a new region for the Bulgarian-born artist.

LAUREL BLACK | The Sun Freda Fairchild, left, discusses Eugenia Maximova's photography with the artist at a meet and greet session on Friday at Maiden Alley Cinema, 112 Maiden Alley. Maximova's series, "Of Time and Memory" and "The Balkan Kitchen," explore objects from everyday life in post-Soviet countries.

When you’ve lived somewhere all your life, even the most remarkable features of your hometown start to blend into the background. Sometimes, it takes a newcomer to notice what the locals take for granted.

Bulgarian-born photographer Eugenia Maximova, an artist in residence through the Paducah Arts Alliance, portrays scenery familiar to Paducahans in a new light.

“I was fascinated by all these old, great, empty buildings. They are wonderful,” Maximova said. “Even without knowing anything, you can visualize, and immediately figure out that (Paducah) was a very prosperous place.”

Maximova has been in Paducah about a month, she said. During that time, she has produced a body of work that local photographers laud for lending an outside perspective to both well-known landmarks, such as the Columbia Theater, and buildings that often go overlooked.

“Being from here, it’s hard to remove yourself,” said local photographer Glenn Hall. “You’re so close to everything. As much as we photograph Paducah, it’s really cool to see it from somebody else’s eyes.

“What (Maximova) captures, it almost gave it a European feel. That was what was really exciting to me. I’ve seen other people take pictures around town, but it’s the first time I’ve seen someone make it look like another country,” he said.

Maximova’s approach — photographing the ordinary to draw out the extraordinary — is apparent in her earlier work, which is on display at Maiden Alley Cinema, 112 Maiden Alley. The two series, titled “Of Time and Memory” and “The Balkan Kitchen,” use everyday subjects to tell stories of the experience living under a Communist regime.

“When I set out to tell a story about the Balkans, it was food that sprang to mind as being the only thing people in the whole region agree that they have in common,” Maximova wrote about “The Balkan Kitchen.” “The kitchen is a multipurpose room, a space which reflects identity and self-perception. It embodies the spirit of the Balkan home and mirrors society as a whole.”

Paducah is a far cry from the Balkans, and certainly smaller than the photographer’s current city of residence — Vienna, Austria. Still, Maximova has found that the town has much to offer.

“You have an orchestra, a theater, really great restaurants, the best cheesecake I have ever had — OK, the second best,” she said. “Great architecture, great art, and the people are so supportive and so brilliant.”

Call Laurel Black, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8641.

Want to go?

Who: PAA artist in residence Eugenia Maximova

What: Photographs from “Of Time and Memory” and “The Balkan Kitchen”

Where: Maiden Alley Cinema, 112 Maiden Alley.