By Mario Algaze
Located in Denton, TX
El beso, San Jose, Costa Rica by Mario Algaze depicts a couple kissing on the street. The man and woman embrace each other tightly, framed by the decorative bricks of the building wall.
Gelatin Silver Print
Signed, titled and dated by Mario Algaze
Paper size: 16 x 20 in., Image size: 8 3/4 x 18 3/4 in.
Mario Algaze was a contemporary Cuban-American photographer whose work celebrated the culture of Latin America.
In 1960, at the age of thirteen, Algaze was exiled from Cuba with his family. He relocated to America and settled in Miami, Florida. Miami offered a rich cultural mecca that encouraged Algaze to travel throughout Central and South America. These trips allowed him a glimpse of belonging within a familiar culture.
In finding his identity after exile, he began photographing Latin America in the 1970’s while reconnecting with the feeling of home. His photographs embody the everyday of Latin life. Between his travels in the late 70’s, Algaze studied visual art at Miami Dade College. Algaze’s masterful command of light illuminates his street scenes that detail the struggles and victories of Latin culture.
Mario Algaze was the recipient of various acclaimed awards, including the Florida Artist Fellowship from the Florida Arts Council (1985), the Cintas Foundation Fellowship in Photography (1991), the Visual Arts Fellowship and the SAF Artist Fellowship sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1992, he received the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Photography.
A retrospective collection of his work was showcased in the important monograph, Mario Algaze: Portfolio, published by Di Puglia Publisher, 2010. Additional monographs by the artist include, Mario Algaze Portafolio Latinamericano, Mario Algaze: Cuba 1999-2000, and Mario Algaze A Respect for Light: The Latin American...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography