Luiz Monforte
São Paulo, Brazil
Artist Statement:
I do not shoot pictures of people, but characters. I do not shoot pictures of places, but scenarios. I understand photography as drama, “a vrai théâtre de guignol," in which photographs of several periods may play different roles in the stories I need to tell.
Doctor of Arts (Cum Laude), School of Architecture and Urbanism, University of São Paulo
Master of Fine Arts, School of Photographic Arts & Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology. Advisors: Charlie Arnold, Bea Nettles, Owen Buttler, John Pfahl, Andrew Davidhazy, James La Villa-Havellin
Awards | Distinctions:
Wallace Memorial Library Purchase Award; Critics Award of São Paulo; Grand Prix at the Triennial of Graphic Arts in Prague, Czech Republic; Grand Prix for best International Representation at International Biennial of Graphic Arts in Ljubljana, Slovenia; among others.
Relevant Exhibitions:
MIS – Museum of Image and Sound, São Paulo, Brazil; MAM – Museum of Modern Art, São Paulo, Brasil; MASP – São Paulo Museum of Art; Kupferstichkabinnet der bildenden Kunst, Wien, Austria; Joze Ciuha Foundation, Bled, Slovenia; Songzhuan Cultural Festival, Beijing China; White Box Museum, Beijing, China
Educational Affiliations:
Professor - Graphic Design, Photography History of Art and Semiotics, Arts Institute of UNESP; Professor, University Anhemby-Morumbi, Paulo Vanzolini´s Foundation at the Polytechnic School at University of São Paulo and Santa Cecília University.
Publications:
Fotografia Pensante, Alegorias Brasileiras; articles for several newspapers and magazines among them O Estado de São Paulo, Biennial Foundation and a special essay entitled “Stardust Memories” published by the Calcografia Nacional of Spain, Madrid. Many of his photographs have been published in books and magazines, among them International Encyclopedia of Photography, Michel and Michele Auer, Geneve, Switzerland; The Art of the Enhanced Photography, James Luciana and Judith Watts, USA; Pre-History of Brazil, Bia Hetzel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Photography in Brazil, Funarte; and Em Torno da Fotografia no Brasil, Pietro Maria Bardi, MASP, Brazil.
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Featured Work:
Goldberg Variations as performed by Glenn Gould
​2006/2019
Multilayered gum prints on Rives BFK 270 gsm
departing point: gum print cut outs used as negatives and compositional elements; 180 images of diverse dimensions ranging from 20x10 mm to 1 sq m. Inspired by citation of Décio Pignatari.
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