Albumen Gallery returns to Photo London

At this year’s Photo London is presenting a ‘Latin American Salon’. The works of four Latin American photographers representing different countries, regions and periods are testament to the rich and diverse culture of photography in Latin America.

Brazilian photographer Rosa Gauditano’s archive spans over forty years going back to Brazil of the 70s – a country under military dictatorship. Rooted in the tradition of Latin American photography, seamlessly merging documentary work with the aesthetic creation of photographic art Rosa Gauditano has always let her camera speak for the neglected or abandoned – those on the marginsof society. Rosa Gauditano has never shied away from – at  the time  – controversial subjects on the fringe of society like her 1976 project ‘Prostitutas’ or the ‘1979 Forbidden Lives’ project. Her work has been widely exhibited and published and is held in a number of public and private
collection in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Argentina and the USA.

Bolivian photographer Diego Echevers Torrez was born in Chochabamba in 1979. He studied
Architecture and Anthroology and has taught Anthropology at the Universidad Cathólica Boliviana. Alongside his private work he currently teaches Photography at the Universidad Mayor de San Simón.

Echevers Torrez first picked up a camera in1997 as a student for research purposes in connection with architecture and anthropology study projects. Entirely self taught and relying on his own visual and aesthetic instincts his photography developed without any formal guidance or genre reference points. Only years later with the advent of the internet access to information relevant to his photography became easier. That led to his discovery of names like Edward Curtis, Josef Sudek, Karl Blosfeldt, Irving Penn and Sebastio Salgado – photographers he would now cite as influence on his own work. Whilst Diego Echevers Torrez’s photography is to some extent informed by his background in architecture and particularly anthropology, his work has artistically transcended its purely documentary origins. Diego Echevers Torrez pays homage to the people and culture of his country as well as addressing social concerns such as increasing inequality and industrialisation endangering their traditional way of life. Diego Echevers Torrez's chosen medium is analogue
photography and he uses mostly medium format and large format cameras. The process driven nature of analogue photography has become an important part of the creative hand-crafted way of how he works – even including some of the base materials and chemicals. Economic conditions and restrictions in Bolivia have forced him to produce some of the chemicals and material used in his work himself – something he now appreciates as integral part of the overall creative process.

Boliovian photographer Javier Molina’s photography covers a range of styles and thematic approaches. But he regularly returns to Landscape photography fascinated by the transient nature in which landscape affects us – both reflecting and setting moods. Javier Molina lives in London, but regularly returns to Bolivia for his work. In his Bolivian landscape photography he retraces the lives and places of his family and ancestors.

Javier Molina’s landscapes are permeated by a sense of magic realism – a stylistic element that is frequently associated with Latin American literature. For Javier Molina the actual landscape is just astarting point. Notwithstanding the minutious detail captured by his camera the photos transcend the bounds of ‘here & now’ reality. They become a vehicle transporting the viewer sending them on a journey exploring the spirit of the country of Javier Molina’s ancestors.

Talking about his work Colombian photographer Andrés Rozo Samer says ‘my main interest as a fine art photographer is to build metaphors and narratives about our relationship with nature and propose a reflection on the unique imprint and energy that each family embeds in their everyday objects. My method is based on observation, I am constantly looking for visual stimulus and the hidden poetry of matter. After an idea and a mental image are solid, I search for the subject and the most appropriated light. Normally I work on black and white because my focus is on shape, texture and detail. My bodies of work are interconnected with each other through the articulation of the elements of design and the exploration of what lies hidden in plain sight. I seek to provide a rewarding visual experience to the observer with an immersion into our society and the beauty of nature.’