Brazil’s Undiscovered Photographers
Utopica Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Opening in 2007 Utopica Gallery and its founder Pablo DiGuilo were the first to introduce classic vintage photographs from the early 20th century to the Brazilian market. In doing so DiGuilo provided one of the first opportunities for these previously unheralded image makers to exhibit their work. Working primarily Brazilian photographers from primarily the 1940’ and 1950’s, the gallery is a leader in ensuring the physical integrity, authenticity and proof of origin of the vintage prints it exhibits.
Working with researchers, scholars, and academics the gallery has discovered a number of important artists, including the members of one of the regions amateur photography clubs of the 1930’s, 40’, 50’s and 60’s. These photographers were creating at times seminal works for the viewing and conversational pleasure of those in the club, and a small group of friends and admirers. The imagery created by this group is finally being recognized by Brazil’s museums and collectors around the world.
The gallery represents the works of photographers: Wagner Almeida, Luiz Carlos Barreto, André Cunha, Alejandro Chaskielberg, Luiz Carlos Felizardo, Fernando Lemos, German Lorca, Juca Martins, Beth Moon, Carlos Moreira, Felipe Russo, Guillermo Srodek-Hart, Evandro Teixeira, Hiroshi Watanabe and the estates of photographers Annemarie Heinrich and José Yalenti. In addition to these names, the gallery has in its collection works by over more than 30 photographers, such as Heinz Hajek-Halke, Carlos Bippus, Jean Manzon, Guillermo Srodek-Hart, Rogério Reis and the Hermanos Vargas.
You can see a number of Utopica’s artists at Paris Photo and New York’s AIPAD art fair, as well as their gallery in Sao Paulo.
PHOTO CREDIT
Carlos Moreira Ramos de Azevedo Square, 1973 Vintage gelatin silver print 15 3/4 x 11 13/16 in
German Lorca Morandi, 1970 Vintage gelatin silver print from 1980s. 14 61/64 x 17 7/8 in
José Yalenti Untitled, c. 1950 Vintage gelatin silver print. 15 3/16 x 17 1/8 in
André Cunha Sanctuary Series, 2016/2017 Archival pigment print. Edition of 10, 22 7/16 x 14 15/16 in
Pablo Di Giulio, Founder and Director Marcella Brandimarti, Associate Director Paula Viecelli, Sales Associate/Registrar/Imaging Archivist/Artist Liaison
Rua Rodésia 26 São Paulo, SP 05435-020 Brazil
https://utopica.photography/ info@utopica.photography
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Thomas Wener is our Editor at Large since August 16th 2016. He is the author of the book "The Fashion Image" for Bloomsbury Press, London (2017), and an Assistant Professor and past Photography Program Director at Parsons School of Design in New York. The former owner of Thomas Werner Gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea Art District, he currently lectures internationally on topics of photography, fashion, education, and contemporary professional practices, and recently lead a team developing a media and literacy web site and resource center in five languages, Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic and English for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations/UNESCO. Thomas has worked with the Department of State as a cultural representative in Russia, and been a photography consultant for COACH and Rodale Publishing, among others. He is a recurrent instructor at the United Nations Education First Summer School, and is presenting workshops on effective message development and communication on an international basis.
Over the last nine years his personal work has been Russia and Ukraine centric, spending an average or 70 days a year there partnering with 33 cultural, educational, and governmental organizations to develop projects in 34 cities. The focus of this work has been the introduction of the principles of civil society, the advancement of media literacy and contemporary education methodologies, and the development of creative cultures within the country. He has curated exhibitions in the United States and abroad, and his personal art work and private collection of Russian photographs and artifacts have been exhibited internationally.
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