GUI MARCONDES

Mar 14

Gui Marcondes is a photographer and has been working as a creative director in audiovisual productions for more than twenty years. Marcondes lives between New York and São Paulo, his hometown is Brazil.

1. When and where did you start photography?

GM: I have always photographed since I first picked up a camera as a child. However, I only considered photography as an author's project starting in 2016, when I decided to dedicate myself to building a cohesive body of work.

Who (is) has (have) been the references in your photography?

GM: Some photographers who inspired me at the beginning of this path were Sergio Larrain, Brassaï, Adriana Lestido, Henry Wessel, David Gibson, Raymond Meeks and many others. I also have many references outside of photography, as I am a graphic artist first and foremost. I am especially inspired by illustration, engraving, comics and animation.

What do you want to communicate with your images?

GM: My work does not try to communicate an idea, but to create a universe in which the reader of the image can immerse himself and create his own interpretation. What interests me most about photography is the possibility of creating a surreal universe from ordinary things, like a mirror that reflects details invisible to the naked eye. I like enigmatic images.

What does street and documentary photography mean to you?

GM: For me, street photography is simply what is done in public spaces, it is not a genre in itself, but the description of a process that can lead to completely different results. I am not a documentary photographer, at least not more than what the medium itself imposes, after all, every photo is essentially a document. In any case, I believe that the documentation seeks a minimum of analytical position regarding the subject that is being treated. Although it is impossible to be totally impartial, the documentary filmmaker must have a minimally neutral view of a situation, or at least must expose his political agenda objectively. Although I admire this type of work, it does not interest me as an author. I prefer to work assuming that what I do is fiction.

How are your life experiences reflected in the symbolism we see in your photographs?

GM: Good question! I prefer to follow intuition when shooting, which means I rarely know what I'm doing when shooting my camera. Some time later, in editing, I begin to recognize patterns, themes, obsessions, hobbies, etc. During the last few years I have worked a lot without necessarily looking back and understanding what I was creating. In the current moment it is different, I am photographing less and trying to understand what I have produced so far. I still don't know how to answer that question.