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Jose Picayo

Cuban

In an age where digital photography reigns supreme, José Picayo makes no apologies for his commitment to Polaroid film. “Digital is so overpoweringly real,” he told Musée magazine. “Photography is more magical to me.” With Polaroid film, Picayo explains he can capture his evocative portraits, still-lifes and landscapes “as they are — a moment in time.”  

Born in 1959 in Havana, Picayo left Cuba with his family in 1966, moving to Puerto Rico. In 1975, they settled in Kent, Ohio, where he completed high school and attended Kent State University for two years. By 1981, Picayo moved to New York City and graduated with a BFA from Parsons School of Design in 1983.

For the next few years, Picayo assisted several photographers before he began his career as a commercial photographer in 1987. During this time, he worked for several publications, including Italian magazines Sassy, Taxi and Connoisseur. Picayo also moonlighted as a teacher during the 1990s, teaching photography at his alma mater and Manhattan’s International Center of Photography.

Despite the introduction of digital photography in the late 20th century, Picayo has remained loyal to film photography, preferring to shoot with Polaroid film. The 8 x 10 images are then printed on Japanese paper, which lends visual texture and a timeworn quality to his black and white and color photos. While he is well known for his fashion photography, Picayo credits several influential photographers for their impact on his creative works. These include Eugène Atget, Edward S. Curtis, Michael Disfarmer, Walker Evans and Torkil Gudnason. 

Picayo has exhibited extensively in both solo and group shows throughout the US, including the Robin Rice Gallery in New York City and the Erie Art Museum in Pennsylvania. His works have appeared in numerous publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, L.A. Style, the New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Rolling Stone and more.

Find authentic José Picayo photography on 1stDibs.

Billy
By Jose Picayo
Located in Hudson, NY
Listing is for UNFRAMED print. Inquire within for framing. Edition of 40. If the exhibition piece is sold or the customer orders a different print size, the photograph is prod...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Jose Picayo

Billy
H 18.75 in W 14.75 in
Tortoise
By Jose Picayo
Located in Hudson, NY
CURRENT EXHIBITION - runs through September 10th, 2017. Any framed photographs purchased during the show will be available then. If the exhibition piece is sold or the customer order...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Jose Picayo

Materials

Archival Pigment

"Still Life with Japanese Vase", New York, NY, 1998
By Jose Picayo
Located in Hudson, NY
This photograph is printed on Japanese Paper. The price is for an unframed photograph. 11" X 14" Edition of 25. The Robin Rice Gallery is pleased to announce, 25 Years of Polaroi...
Category

1990s Contemporary Jose Picayo

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Brides Magazine, Bedford", New York, NY, 2003
By Jose Picayo
Located in Hudson, NY
This photograph is printed on Japanese Paper. The price is for an unframed photograph. 11" X 14" Edition of 25. The Robin Rice Gallery is pleased to announce, 25 Years of Polaroi...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Jose Picayo

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Peony", New York, NY, 2000
By Jose Picayo
Located in Hudson, NY
This photograph is printed on Japanese Paper. The price is for an unframed photograph. 11" X 14" Edition of 25. The Robin Rice Gallery is pleased to announce, 25 Years of Polaroi...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Jose Picayo

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Cigar Aficionado Magazine, Dylan", New York, NY, 1999
By Jose Picayo
Located in Hudson, NY
This photograph is printed on Japanese Paper. The price is for an unframed photograph. 11" X 14" Edition of 25. The Robin Rice Gallery is pleased to announce, 25 Years of Polaroi...
Category

1990s Contemporary Jose Picayo

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Esquire Magazine", New York, NY, 2001
By Jose Picayo
Located in Hudson, NY
This photograph is printed on Japanese Paper. The price is for an unframed photograph. 11" X 14" Edition of 25. The Robin Rice Gallery is pleased to announce, 25 Years of Polaroids, a new exhibit by Jose Picayo. The opening reception will be held Wednesday, November 7th, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The exhibit will run through January 6, 2019. In this exhibition, Picayo seeks to revive the concept of unadulterated beauty captured as a single moment in time. An unapologetic user of film, Picayo prides himself on his avoidance of digital processing for personal work. When asked why it remains his preferred medium, Picayo answers, “Digital is so overpoweringly real; photography is more magical to me.” For Picayo, Polaroid film is a medium where he can capture something as is – a moment in time. Just to hold the photograph in his hands is enough. 25 Years of Polaroids showcases Picayo’s most iconic work. This exhibit includes personal photographs of Cuba from 1994, Polaroid image transfers showcasing his impressive use of visual texture and his eye for fashion. Also included are his Atget-esque tree portraits from a New Jersey public arboretum in 2012. Additionally, a selection of 8” x 10” Polaroids from Mugshots 2008, will be included, exploring how a person’s soul can be captured in what appear to be basic photographs. The main questions at the heart of Picayo’s photography stem from the mystery of human perception and the precious things that are lost to time. The invitational image, Rotating Doll, 1997, features a multi-paneled display of polaroids which cover an entire length of a wall. These 20” x 24” Polaroids appear larger than life and were given much praise in Picayo’s recent exhibit Polaroids 2016 at The Erie Museum in Erie, PA. This series stems from a collection of children’s dolls Picayo has found over the years, each one with its own strange and authentic story to tell. By cultivating a deteriorated look reminiscent of antique fresco painting, Picayo examines time using the inanimate faces of broken dolls, reflecting on the objects we hold dear and how they fall apart as we try to hold onto them. Picayo speaks of his own influences, crediting photographers Eugène Atget, Walker Evans, and Edward Curtis, Michael Disfarmer, and Torkil Gudnason with impact on both his fine and commercial art. He is well known for his work in fashion, but for Picayo his personal and commercial work are interrelated, each extensions of one another. Born in Cuba, Picayo immigrated to Puerto Rico during his childhood and settled in New York City by the early 80s. After receiving his BFA from Parsons School of Design, Picayo began his professional career as a commercial photographer, shooting for magazines such as Vanity Fair, Sassy, Taxi, and Connoisseur. Picayo’s work has since appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, L.A. Style, New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Rolling Stone, NY Magazine, HG, and Elle Décor. Picayo has held nine solo exhibits to date at the Robin Rice Gallery. Esquire Magazine...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Jose Picayo

Materials

Photographic Paper

Phil, Front 2015
By Jose Picayo
Located in Hudson, NY
This listing is for the unframed photograph. The Robin Rice Gallery proudly announces SUMMERTIME Salon 2019, an annual photography exhibit featuring gallery artists as well as a fe...
Category

2010s Contemporary Jose Picayo

Materials

Digital Pigment

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Jose Picayo art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Jose Picayo art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Jose Picayo in silver gelatin print, paper, photographic paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1990s and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Jose Picayo art, so small editions measuring 20 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Carlos Gamez De Francisco, Keith Carter b.1948, and Beth Moon. Jose Picayo art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,750 and tops out at $20,000, while the average work can sell for $4,200.

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