Paraty in Focus 2011

In the last thirty years, Rosely Nakagawa was breathing photography. To say that she is a curator, is to reduce the vast work of an architect who always sought the more personal contact with the photographer and his work. In 1979, aged 25, was the creation of Fotoptica Gallery. , que aconteceria em 1993. In 1991, as one of the founders of Nafoto * (Center Friends of Photography), created the 1st International Month of Photography in St. Paul, what would happen in 1993. A landmark in the history of Brazilian photography. More recently, she curated the DVD and book Encounters with Photography , celebrating ten years of Fnac in Brazil.

The interview is not intended to encompass the entire career of Rosely. It is printed with a statement and present. For those who had the chance to see the exhibition "30 Years of Photography" at the Caixa Cultural (by Brazil), saw well over Rosely. The show consisted of a small part of his private collection of photographs. Details are here .

* The Friends of Photography Center was composed of: Stefania Brill, Eduardo Simoes, Juvenal Pereira, Edward Brown, Rosely Nakagawa, Isabel Amado, Mark Santilli, Nair Benedicto, Rubens Fernandes Junior and Fausto Chermont.

Photo: Guilherme Maranhão

Looked like the picture came into his life?

ROSELY NAKAGAWA was when I started studying Architecture at FAU's University of Sao Paulo, Cristiano Mascaro as a student who was my teacher of audiovisual resources (matter of the course curriculum of architecture).

A year later, in 1974, won a scholarship from Carlos Alberto Ebert (director of photography film) who was a friend of Kubrusly Clode, founder of focus (traditional start of several photographers São Paulo). There I was a student of Maureen Bisilliat (image editing), Cristiano Mascaro (history of photography) and Peter Martinelli Laboratory (magnification), besides the Clode (studio, technical and revelation).

I looked at you participate effectively in the creation of Fotoptica Gallery (1979), as it was this relationship and how this pioneer project in Brazil?

ROSELY NAKAGAWA Let's see if what you call "really" happened.

When starting my course in architecture, I thought of working with Museums and Archaeology. At the end the FAU / USP, in 1977, I began to study museology as specialization. Over the five years of college, I worked as an assistant at the Laboratory of Cristiano and organized exhibitions of students, founded the magazine publications such as Poetação (with Milton Hatoum - at that time was not a writer - as a story editor and Rubens Matuck - that graphic artist since 1970 was in Jornal da Tarde - as editor) and John Pereira editions, publisher of small run of prints and photographs (with Katz Renin, Diana Mindlin teachers as collaborators).

In the 70's, photography occupied an interesting space in advertising agencies, magazines and major newspapers. The first photo agencies structured themselves professionally (AGIL, F4, Camera 3, among other Focontexto).

The figure of the photo editor began to settle, which showed that the photographer won a space for dialogue with the text editor and some museums of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro began to organize events related to photography. In Sao Paulo, the Museum of Image and Sound (John Oliveira Socrates) and MASP (Claudia Andujar) at the Bienal de São Paulo (Thomaz Farkas) insisted on the continued presence of photography in the exhibition schedule. It was created in FUNARTE Infoteste of Rio de Janeiro.

In 1979, the Gallery Fotoptica in a specialized establishment, seemed a natural necessity. Thomas initially wanted the John Farkas was the coordinator, but the son's plans were different. He then talked to some friends, Katz Renin Cristiano Mascaro and I indicated to work. I had no professional experience and [had] 25 years, he was courageous and bet it would work.

The scenario of photography of this period was interesting because most of the photographers who attended the show was beginning to professionalize themselves were open to discuss the proposals. The discussions were frequent and learning could be so intense through the exchange of information and experiences. Mainly through Infoteste meetings held throughout Brazil.

Photos: File particular

John Farkas, Sebastiao Salgado and Rosely (1983)

Aldemir Martins, Fayez Mauad and Mario Cravo Neto (1982)

Carlos Moreira, Claudio Helcio Feijo and Nagamine (1981)

He looked Curator had an established role at that time. Tell us how it was his work in Fotoptica.

Curated ROSELY NAKAGAWA photography was not established, but the arts, yes. I would say that I learned on a daily basis with the photographers would be working as the coordination of a gallery. The beginning of each semester I had a meeting with Thomas for a programming staff. How Merchants Fotoptica sponsored all costs and laboratory, it was necessary to monitor promotions and schedule their commercial.

Some issues were worked out according to the test of photographers. It was difficult to convince the marketing board that the gallery was a difference for the network. And these deals get away, but Thomas has always supported me. I had to attend the monthly meetings of managers, introducing me as the manager of one store that were not profitable, costs were accounted for as a loss. I received a small monthly allowance to manage various expenses.

At first I worked alone, looking to the professionals, edited images, mailed to the laboratory, accompanied the copies and their problems, leading to the framer and framed myself in the gallery. The design of the invitations I could with Helio de Almeida (art editor of that) gave me also the photolithography and the subtitles in photocomposition (super automatic for the time, but that had to be printed and corrected one by one). I myself took the material to press, negotiating the cost and time delivery. Print, and update the mailing at the typewriter on adhesive labels and was in line at the post. Always at the last minute.

What I looked at the facts you highlight cultural development achieved by Gallery Fotoptica and harvested?

When organizing a ROSELY NAKAGAWA shows the concern was to spread the work of professionals and not just show and sell. Promovíamos formal and informal meetings, book launches and meetings with the author. Editing short runs and got signed to organize a club of collectors. When editing images for the exhibition learned a lot about the thought process and we discussed the project from the beginning. The exhibition was actually an opportunity for interaction and learning only.

When mounting the exhibition the gallery was open, many attendees were from the photographer to follow and talk and eventually help in the completion. The editors of the journal Fotoptica moved to the same address in the third year of operation of the gallery. Some neighbors were frequent visitors, such as Ignatius Loyola Brandão (newly arrived from Germany), Thales Wheat (it was still a professor of physics) Carlos Moreira. The Gallery's bookstore was a place of great conversations.

The first exhibitions were important as a procedure definition.

The inaugural meeting shows the best photographers of the magazine and see this in a period politically and culturally very rich. It marked the professionals who are on the market today do not act only photographers, but as editors: Helio Campos Mello, Peter Martinelli. The second, Carlos Moreira was better in terms of quality editing and copying. All clean, by himself. The third, Mario Cravo Neto, showed first enhancements made in color Cibaprint, a wonder.

Maureen Bisiallit and Pierre Verger (1981)

Nair Benedicto and Cristiano Mascaro (1979)

He looked familiar and analyze portfolios photographers are processes that involve observation of historical criticism and the notion that this language means. What are your criteria for analysis with a photographic material?

Criteria ROSELY NAKAGAWA happily change over time. But one thing remains and that is what I believe is fundamental: what you want with the material produced. The clarity of this search defines all the following discussion. The photographer must know what he's looking for even a faint hint at first.

The search defines the process and the tools of language he will use in performing the work. As you may start to question their contribution indicating other professionals who have a similar search in photography, literature, music, cinema. I use other languages ​​to increase understanding and facilitate the discussion.

In 2004, I went to study again to increase my repertoire of assessment, I did major in Communication and Semiotics at PUC / USP and studied with Professor Norval Baitello and Guest Professor Ryuta Imafuku.

I looked at the attention it arouses in contemporary photography?

ROSELY NAKAGAWA photography and contemporary art emerged in the mid-twentieth century was transformed and starts a new process of transformation at the beginning of this century. Contemporary art has awakened my interest mainly for the review of critical evaluation made of it. Many papers relegated the critical period is the most interesting show today on a new look. Other highly valued simply fell into neglect.

The categorical definitions of some periods are being revised and redefined from another viewpoint. Revealing names forgotten or overlooked, for example. The picture gets a lot with this, as it has in its favor over time. Some examples: Haruo Ohara and Peter Scheier, for example, were photographers who had not the slightest meaning to the end of 1980. Haruo Ohara, immigrant farmer like many others of his generation, photographing your family without pretensions. Peter Scheer was a commercial photographer with a studio and commissioned work. Go unnoticed if not for the research of historians and the search that led to the collection of MASP PIRELLI. Digital photography is setting the stage for a new image, with capabilities that were previously unimaginable. Movement, sound, interactivity. I believe that there is still best to find support for assessment and presentation of new trends.

There I looked at trends in contemporary curatorial that you like and add reflections relevant to the content of the photographic exhibition?

ROSELY NAKAGAWA I think the term that I like curation is assigned to a job in an institution or gallery, in front of a collection or the permanent collection and do not believe it is important to mention that I like or not, but to assess the way the curator since late 70. The curator begins in contemporary photography in Brazil after the occupation of areas conquered from the International Month of Photography - NAFOTO in the late 1980s.

The Month of Photography secured a permanent space and since then, the trustees began to organize the photograph to include in their programming and collections. What actually happened after a few years, it was inevitable that the Museum had to highlight curators specialized in the area. Now that I like, because the great contributions of professional practitioners who are dedicated, study, write, research and international Brazilian photography. Museums and Institutions gave way to survey the collection of production and scanned the Itaú Cultural, formation of new collections and collection (MASP Pirelli), restoration of old collections (MIS-SP), acquisition of private archives (IMS). Like the MAC-USP, one of the pioneers and only one to have a contemporary collection which originated from the São Paulo Biennial and exhibitions organized since 1960.

The curator of exhibitions of short duration are not always able to keep a result be able to assess properly. Some professionals, unrelated to an institution often improvise or not the area, damaging the rating you ask me.

Rosely and Pierre Verge (1981)

Rosely, Tonacci Andrea and Manuela Carneiro da Cunha (1982)

And I looked at the books? Tell us a little about his job as publisher of photography books.

ROSELY NAKAGAWA collaborate for some foundations and publishers (in image editing and graphic design of projects) as the DBA, Time d'Image, Third Name, Cosac Naif, FNAC. The publication of books in Brazil is another achievement of the last 10 years that allowed the diffusion of a democratic unmatched.

You see her as the presence of photography in national and foreign private institutions?

These ROSELY NAKAGAWA institutions to which you refer would Institutes such as IMS and Itaú or galleries? If this is the question, I evaluate the presence of photography ever more intense and important in these institutions, such as an absence of the state. The state should take care to reserve a space for contemporary photography, renovation and development of collections. A lot is happening with the photograph which reveals itself every day "was the language of" Institutions and the public are missing out.

What I looked at the importance of the transit of photographic expression in biennials and galleries?

ROSELY NAKAGAWA From the 1949 show, when Thomas Farkas presented in MAM and photographic studies of the first Biennial of Sao Paulo (founded in 1951 by the same museum), in the 1950s, some rooms were occupied by FotoClube Bandeirante. In 1953, Flusser structured a very interesting curatorial project that addressed the crisis of art and the Biennale (see Ricardo Mendes).

There was a break in the 1960 and 1970, during which the MAC USP is dedicated to organizing national and international exhibitions. The picture starts a national exchange period with the MoMA in New York curated by John Szarkowski and intermediation Aracy Amaral. These shows have encouraged the creation of a board of trustees and an intense program that was attended by Claudia Andujar, Maureen Bisilliat, George Love, among other names Cristiano Mascaro and professionals of tendering for open group exhibitions. This dynamic increase greatly the national photographic production thereafter.

I looked at the Rubens Fernandes Jr. Professor in 1989, wrote about her efforts to become real the presence of Brazilian photography in the Biennial of Sao Paulo that year. There was a change in the incorporation of photography institutionalizing these spheres of art?

ROSELY NAKAGAWA In 1985, the XVIII Biennial, Maureen Bisilliat gathered in The Apprentice Tourist, photos inspired by the work of Mario de Andrade. In 1987, Helena Anna Mariani shows the façade with a setup project and image editing of my own, an extensive inventory of houses in small towns in the northeast. What I remember was the last exhibition of Brazilian photographers were free and featured in the national program of the Biennale. What has changed in the following editions were the objectives and guidelines of the Bienal, more focused since then to the commercial market nationally and internationally.

What I looked at you highlight exhibitions in recent years?

NAKAGAWA ROSELY This is the hardest question to answer! I would highlight some of 2009: A retrospective of Graciela Iturbide in FOTOESPANHA in Madrid on the Cartier Bresson at SESC Pinheiros Sao Paulo, MASP photographs of Rodin in Sao Paulo, a retrospective of Mario Cravo Neto at Tomie Ohtake in Sao Paulo. Historical!

* Thanks to Guilherme Maranhão portrait by Rosely.