In the second of our new on-going programme of online exhibitions, we present a selection of the work of artist-photographers David Tortora and Jaime Travezan, who have been collaborating together on a regular basis since 2009 under the working name of TORTORA + TRAVEZAN. Their work and style can be described as visually rich, highly stylized and hyper-real and relies on extensive use of digital manipulation.
David Tortora, born in Italy and Jaime Travezan, born in Peru, met in London in 2006 where Tortora worked as a designer and Travezan as a photographer. After an initial collaboration working on fashion editorials and portraiture, they started to focus on more personal projects embarked on a series of photographic investigations on the themes of sociocultural evolution, diversity and inclusion. The series Galatea (featured here), was their first foray into fine art photography with a series of works exploring and combining the fields of nude and still life.
The series GALATEA takes its name from the Greek myth, Pygmalion. According to legend, the sculptor (Pygmalion) fell in love with a statue he had carved (Galatea) that in turn fell in love with the sculptor when brought to life by Aphrodite. The series is an homage to the work of Tom Wesselmann. The compositions pay tribute to the American pop artist with a contemporary, hyper-real re-interpretation of his iconic early Seventies ‘Bedroom Paintings’ series. The strong use of colour and body close-ups continues in the series FLORA, a celebration of freshness, spring and nature.
TORTORA + TRAVEZAN have won much acclaim for their distinctive style of work, including awards such as Winner of the 2016 Fine Art Photo Awards (Flora), Winner of the 2015 PDN Photo Annual, Personal Category (Galatea), Silver medal at Prix de la Photographie, Paris 2015 (PX3) Book Category (Mirame, Lima), Photographer of the Year nominee at the Lucie Awards 2014.(Galatea), Gold medal at Prix de la Photographie, Paris 2014 (PX3), Fine Arts Category (Galatea), Official Selection at the 2014 Kontinent Awards (The Garden of Earthly Delights).
Work has been selected for exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London as part of the 2012 and 2013 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize (Mírame, Lima) and be shown in solo or group shows at Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares, Mexico City, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Lima, Peru, Instituto de Cervantes, Paris and Instituto de Cervantes, PHotoEspana, Madrid as well as Blue Sky Gallery, Portland Oregon and the Phillips Gallery in London.
A number of signed, limited edition prints of these works are now available to purchase.