The photographer Luiz Braga, one of two selected artists to represent Brazil in the 53rd Venice Biennale, brings in his first exhibition at Galeria Leme 17 works, some of them made in the last two years. Images that move within the night, different than the crepuscular and magnetic light that characterizes his well-known works, in which the images come into sight full of surreal colors.
Luiz Braga approaches not only the geography, cultural references, the popular traditions and the people of northern Brazil, but also carries an expressive emotional batch, full of human values and free of exoticism and stereotypes, just because of the originality and ability that he captures the confrontation between the natural and artificial light, settling the eye land – an inalienable place – with memories, colors and smells.
In opposition to this work, Luiz Braga presents at Galeria Leme a selection of nighttime images, a new moment in his path ruled by the subversion of the color.
In the current stage, the snapshot of the end of the day is banished to give place to bountiful times to photograph, searching the lights hidden in the most hasty eyes. Then, the series of nighttime images, full of bright stars, unquiet leaves, strident moons and distant boats, all sheltered by the distinct dark-blue of the equatorial nights.
The long exposure photograph allows Luiz Braga not only to strengthen the search of new ways to photograph – a constant in his life – but also keep the investigation on the effects of light on the visible world. Translated to an extended gaze this images are free of the territorial restrictions that characterizes, in some way, the language of the artist until now.
About the artist:
Luiz Braga (Belém, Pará – 1956). Lives and works in Belém.
Recent group exhibitions: 53rd International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennial, Venice, Italy; À procura de um olhar, Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (2009); 14° Salão da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil (2007); V Biennale de La Photographie et des Arts Visuels, Liège, Belgium (2006); Panorama de Arte Brasileira, Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (2005); A Trajetória da Luz na Arte Brasileira, Itaú Cultural, São Paulo, Brazil (2001); Jungle Brasilianische Fotografie, Cologne, Germany (1997); Recent Photographic Art from Brazil, Photographer’s Gallery, London, UK (1996).
Recent solo exhibitions: Vagalume, Galeria Leme, São Paulo, Brazil (2009); Retratos Amazônicos, Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (2005); Desenhos do Olhar, 3ª Bienal Internacional de Fotografia, Memorial de Curitiba, Brazil (2000); Luiz Braga, Pulitzer Art Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands (1993); Luiz Braga, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1992); Anos Luz, MASP, São Paulo , Brazil (1992).