11.25.2013

10 INSTANTLY



Read all about me and my 10 things to cherish in 10 Magazine!
interview by Natalie Dembinska.

11.24.2013

1990s IN NEW YORK MAGAZINE


Chloë Sevigny and Other Stars, As Photographed in the Nineties

In Brazilian-born photographer Marcelo Krasilcic's latest book of photographs, a cloth-bound two-volume publication aptly titled1990s, the international fashion photographer and portraitist whose work has appeared in publications like PurpleDazed & Confused,Harper’s Bazaar, and Vogue Hommes International chose to focus on his early years when he first moved to New York. The 300 pages are filled intimate, raw, and often erotic snapshots of  the decade's most recognizable liberated youth: artists, designers, and musicians — everything from a bikini-clad Chloë Sevigny on a ferry boat in her early twenties to album covers for Everything But the Girl. The photographs also record Krasilcic's day-to-day life, full of men and women sprawled out in the nude on crisp white bedsheets, entwined on sofas, and jumping into pools.
"How much am I in control of my destiny? That was one of my main questions during the 90’s," the photographer writes in his book. "By creating images that looked real, I was able to write my own history. If I was feeling lonely, I had intimate images to remind me I was not alone." The book was released in conjunction with an exhibit, which will be at the Colette in Paris until March 30. Click ahead for a first look on the Cut.
written by Julie Ma.

11.23.2013

1990s IN LILIAN PACCE


1990s in Lilian Pacce!

Em 1990, Marcelo Krasilcic mudou-se pra NY pra estudar fotografia na New York University. E ficou por lá… O fotógrafo brasileiro registrou tudo, claro, e o resultado dos primeiros 10 anos morando na cidade viraram livro, “1990s” (R$ 160), cuja publicação é simultânea no Brasil e nos EUA. São 179 imagens dividas em 2 volumes – e alguns dos retratos já apareceram em revistas como “Purple”“Dazed & Confused” e“Self Service” e capa de CD!

11.22.2013

1990s IN KA_KAOS

1990S in Oesquema Ka-Kaos!


Arquivo: Marcelo Krasilcic 

Marcelo Krasilcic, fotógrafo brasileiro radicado nos EUA, lança “1990s”, nessa sexta, na SP-Arte. O livro, que na verdade são dois, foi editado pela Cosac Naify e apresenta imagens realistas que viraram sua marca registrada, assim como a da década que ele retratou. Confira o papo que bati com ele sobre o trabalho:
Como você se descobriu fotógrafo?
Eu me apaixonei pela fotografia no momento em que descobri o quanto é
possível se comunicar através dela. Com o passar do tempo admiro cada vez
mais o quão sútil e refinada a linguagem fotográfica pode ser. Em 91 tive
uma leitura de tarot na qual me foi sugerido incorporar as questões que eu
estava tendo na minha vida a minha fotografia. A partir daí que realmente
desenvolvi uma linguagem própria no meu trabalho.
O livro reune imagens registradas ao longo de quanto tempo?
São imagens de 1991 até 2001. Eu considero que a década de 90 acabou mesmo
depois do 11 de setembro.
Você já tinha a vontade de montar um livro enquanto as clicava?Não, pelo contrário. Eu sempre busco estar no presente e criar novos
trabalhos. Porém com o passar do tempo e como não havia internet na década
de 90, eu senti uma grande necessidade de reapresentar ao mundo tantas
imagens que definiram quem eu sou como fotografo e ajudaram a definir a
década de 90.
Fale um pouco sobre o formato do livro. Qual a ideia por trás dele?Eu queria que as fotos horizontais e as verticais tivessem o mesmo tamanho. Por isso resolvi fazer dois volumes, um em cada formato. Porém, queria manter a idéia de um só livro e o imã escondido nas capas de trás resolveram essa questão. Quando voce tira os dois volumes da caixa, eles saem como um só. Além disso, o imã tem uma interpretação romantica e até sexual. Dois que são um e que mesmo separados sempre tem uma força os atraindo.
Você sente falta de morar no Brasil?Eu amo o Brasil. Tenho um apartamento em São Paulo e apesar de passar boa
parte do meu tempo em Nova York, sempre estou por aí.
Quais os fotógrafos mais importantes na sua formação imagética?Nan Goldin, Larry Clark e Nobuyoshi Araki foram uma grande influência pois legitimizaram uma linguagem fotografica que permitiu uma maior liberdade estética a vários fotógrafos da minha geração.
Quem você gostaria de fotografar que ainda não fez?Uau, tem muita gente que eu ainda não fotografei! Recentemente fotografei a
Rogéria para a revista espanhola Candy. Fiquei mais de um ano atras dela até
conseguir fechar uma data mas valeu super a pena. Ela foi maravilhosa!
Três palavras que representam o que os anos 90 foram pra você.Prefiro uma frase que eu uso bastante para definir a década: Foi uma época cheia de incertezas. Mas também uma época em que tudo parecia possível.
written by Kátia Lessa. 


11.21.2013

1990s IN LIFE LOUNGE

1990s in Lifelounge!

Before Tumblr, there was Marcelo Krasilcic. The seminal Brazilian photographer worked for the likes of Purple and Dazed and Confused throughout the '90s, capturing the parties, the people (read: the Chloe Sevigny) and the fashion.

Feeling like some of his work had been lost in predating the internet generation, Krasilcic has compiled a book of his work called 1990s. In his words "in the 90’s, ideas were more important then anything else".

11.20.2013

1990s IN JUNIOR



1990s in Junior Magazine!
written by Christian Petermann.

11.19.2013

1990s IN FRED BUTLER


Marcelo Krasilcic's  new book entitled "1990s" chronicles the artist's work from the 90's and currently on show at Colette in Paris.  I met the Brazilian born photographer whilst on my year with AsFOUR in his hometown of New York.  Here you can see beautiful Ariel style ADi as a mermaid which Marcelo shot for Dazed and Confusedalongside a self portrait with his mother and another with Bernhard Willhelm.  And fascinatingly for me in the decade I have known Marcelo, I never knew he shot this iconic cover from "Everything But The Girl".  Its a jam-packed double edition book which comes in two volumes held together with a satisfying concealed magnetic force within the hard back covers.  One is vertical and the other landscape format.  A selection of these are the fashion week feature show at Colette with prints hung throughout the store on the way up to the gallery.  

11.18.2013

1990s IN PAS UN AUTRE


1990s In Pas Un Autre!

Marcelo Krasilcic is a Brazilian American photographer born in São Paulo into an Eastern European Jewish family. He moved to New York in 1990 to study art and photography at the New York University. Soon after graduating at NYU, he started exhibiting his art work and helped define the 1990’s while creating images for magazines such as Purple, Dazed & Confused, Self-Service and Visionaire. Marcelo’s further contributions to magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue Hommes International, as well as album covers for bands such as Everything but the Girl, solidified his influence in the international fashion and portrait industry. Marcelo Krasilcic photography will be on view from until March 30, in conjunction with the publication of a book with his work from the 90s, at Colette, 213 rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris

1990s IN FANTASTIC MAN


1990s in Fantastic Man!

This glorious, tome-like coffee table book by photographer MARCELO KRASILCIC, titled ‘1990s’, offers a great idea: to look at one’s body of work from a proper distance, with the right amount of perspective, thirteen years after the decade ended. MARCELO moved from his home country Brazil to New York in 1990 to study and pursue a career in photography. He spent the ’90s shooting lots of friends, lots of nudity, quite a few flexible yoga poses, delightfully normal furniture arrangements, and a world-famous album-cover image of pop group EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL in a limousine. The publication spans two books: one with horizontal photographs, the other with verticals. Together they cleverly add to the re-writing of history. So maybe the notoriously neglected ‘nineties’ weren’t that bad at all?

11.16.2013

1990s IN PERNAMBUCO AND MINAS




Em 1990, o paulistano Marcelo Krasilcic, então com 20 anos, chegou a Nova York para estudar fotografia. Ao terminar a New York University, foi convidado para uma coletiva, sua primeira, que contou com Nan Goldin entre os participantes. A norte-americana, judia como ele, já era uma das referências da fotografia pautada por imagens pessoais, que contassem uma história. “Havia, naquele momento, uma abertura para o tipo de foto que eu também estava fazendo: imagens com ‘cara de verdade’”, comenta Krasilcic, que logo começou a trabalhar em revistas como Purple e Dazed & confused, publicações de moda que também colaboraram para definir a linguagem do período.

Porque para Krasilcic aquela década não terminou com a entrada da próxima. “Considero que somente a partir de 2001 a década chegou ao fim. O 11 de Setembro foi o marco de uma mudança grande no mundo, o que refletiu na moda e na fotografia. Os anos 1990 foram muito importantes para mim, pois me definiram como fotógrafo”, acrescenta. Tanto por isso, há muito tempo Krasilcic começou a recolher todo o material que fez na época para fazer seu próprio registro definitivo. 1990s reúne 179 imagens em que Krasilcic conta sua própria história, seja na moda, na música ou no comportamento. A bem cuidada edição – lançada simultaneamente nos EUA e no Brasil pela Cosac Naify – foi realizada em dois volumes, com caixa em tecido.

A influência de Nan Goldin no trabalho do brasileiro é marcante. “Tanto ela, quanto Larry Clarke e (o japonês) Nobuyoshi Araki são fotógrafos que admiro muito, que abriram caminho para minha geração. A grande diferença entre eles e eu é que eles documentam a realidade, mostram o que está acontecendo. Já as minhas realidades são criadas. Utilizo a linguagem mais realista para criar o que quero contar.” A linha divisória é tênue, tanto que sua imagem mais conhecida (a da capa do álbum Walking wounded, que o duo Everything but the Girl lançou em 1996) costuma ser confundida. “Já veio gente falando comigo que aquela foto havia sido feita quando eles estavam indo para um prêmio da MTV. Não, ela foi inspirada numa outra que fiz de uma produção de moda. Para captar aquele momento, utilizei três rolos de filme.”
 
Mistura

Há artistas nas imagens – Caetano Veloso (para a revista norte-americana de música Spin) e Marina Lima (para um CD da cantora) entre os brasileiros – mas a maioria dos personagens que Krasilcic escolheu para contar a sua história são anônimos. “É uma mistura grande de pessoas. Estão meus pais, minha irmã. Há nus de pessoas com quem tive relacionamento sexual, mas a grande maioria não. Tento não fazer diferença quanto a isso. Não importa se quem está nu ali é minha irmã, e sim o que aquela imagem conta.” Nessa viagem ao passado ele comenta que, quando imaginou o livro, sabia que fotos iria separar. “Vinte por cento do material acabou entrando para preencher espaços da história. Há fotos inclusive que eu nunca tinha visto, como a de uma cabeça de um manequim numa cadeira numa feira em Berlim.”

Todo o material foi produzido na era pré-digital. “Sou o mesmo fotógrafo, tenho hoje uma maneira parecida à do passado de trabalhar. A diferença na moda, por exemplo, é que nos anos 1990 não se dava importância para a roupa. A ideia da imagem era mais importante, ela que tinha que ser interessante. Se era boa, seria boa para a roupa também. Hoje em dia não, e o desafio é até maior, pois a roupa tem que estar no centro da foto, então você tem que trazer outras ideias”, continua Krasilcic, que mesmo radicado em Nova York atua bastante no Brasil. Em abril, ele vai a São Paulo para lançar 1990s durante a SP Arte.

written by Mariana Peixoto

1990s IN FOLHA DE SÃO PAULO

1990s in Folha de São Paulo!

Entre registros íntimos de sua família, amigos e amantes, o fotógrafo paulistano Marcelo Krasilcic, 43, lança hoje "1990s", livro de fotos em que tenta recontar sua vida a partir das imagens captadas nos anos 1990.
Mais conhecido pelos editoriais de moda que exibiu nas páginas de revistas como "Dazed & Confused" e "Self Service", o fotógrafo opta por uma narrativa que prioriza as experiências do período em que se mudou para Nova York para estudar fotografia.
"Jovem, brasileiro, judeu e gay numa época de incertezas. Eu estava começando em tudo, me conhecendo como homem, descobrindo minha sexualidade de uma maneira mais profunda, questionando os relacionamentos", diz.
"Essas publicações estavam começando e o conceito era exatamente o que eu estava fazendo. Uma coisa íntima, mistura de modelo com amigo em que você nem sabia diferenciar quem era quem. A roupa estava lá, mas era um acessório para ajudar o que queríamos transmitir com as fotos."Recém-formado, dividiu espaço em mostras coletivas com fotógrafos já consagrados como Nan Goldin, ao mesmo tempo em que passou a trabalhar em revistas que se tornariam referências estéticas da década de 1990.
Uma dessas imagens, publicada na revista "Visionaire" --de três pessoas impecavelmente vestidas no banco traseiro de um carro--, atraiu a atenção do duo inglês Everything But The Girl. O fotógrafo reproduziu a mesma ideia com a banda e o retrato se tornou a capa do disco "Walking Wounded" --e talvez sua imagem mais famosa.
As imagens de moda, amigos, parentes e namorados --em poses de ioga, com pouca ou nenhuma roupa-- são intercaladas com fotos de lugares e objetos que fazem parte da memorabilia pessoal do artista.
A loja de móveis dos avós e a mãe decoradora conferem outro nível de intimidade com os elementos fotografados, colocando os objetos no mesmo nível afetivo das pessoas presentes no livro.
"Não é um livro gay erótico, ou só de fotos da minha família, ou apenas de moda. É um livro que tenta trazer uma visão do universo inteiro de experiências que eu tive", resume Krasilcic.
Na esteira dos livros-objeto, "1990s" tem uma edição luxuosa em dois volumes. Cada contracapa possui um ímã que junta os livros num só, podendo se separar ou se reunir conforme a "narrativa romântica, de encontros e desencontros" que o autor propõe.
Written by Daigo Oliva.

11.15.2013

1990s IN FRENCH ELLE

1990S in French Elle!
Cette photo qu’on a envie de détailler pendant des heures, malgré son immense pureté (les chaussures vintage, le tatouage sur la cheville, le jaune de la jupe, la cambrure de la fille, son blond très blond, les feuilles, les fanions), on la trouve dans un livre consacré au travail de Marcelo Krasilcic, photographe qui a travaillé, dans les années 1990, pour les revues les plus stylées, et fait les portraits de belles personnes comme Chloë Sevigny et Joaquin Phoenix. Cette photo, et d’autres, on peut aussi les voir en ce moment chez Colette. Le genre d’endroit où Marcelo ferait de belles photos de belles personnes (et on ne dit pas ça parce qu’on y est souvent, hein).
written by Laurene Saby


11.14.2013

1990s AT BASICS

1990s at Basics!

IN A '90s KINDA WORLD

É um livro de fotografia do fotógrafo Marcelo Krasilcic eu gosto do titulo, gosto das fotos, 
gosto sobretudo da ideia de reviver uma das décadas mais fixes até agora. Digo eu.
It is a photography book of Marcelo Krasilcic and I like the titlelike the photos
especially like the idea of reviving one of the coolest decades until now. For me.

1990s IN STYLE.COM

Article about the 90's in Style.com!
By now, it’s been established that we’re in the midst of a nineties style revival (points of reference: the spring 2013 collections of Dries Van NotenPhillip LimDsquared², and House of Holland, just to name a few). But the art world is reliving the nineties, too. Earlier this month, the New Museum opened itsNYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star exhibition, which, named for a Sonic Youth song, features artwork that was exhibited or produced in New York in 1993 (like Matthew Barney’s drawings, John Currin’s Girl in Bed painting, and Art Club 2000′s Conrans I print, which shows Gen Y-ers surrounded by Gap bags—below). And today, photographer Marcelo Krasilcic memorializes the full decade with his show 1990s at Colette in Paris. (It coincides with the release of his book, Marcelo Krasilcic: 1990s, which Colette will fete on March 1.) 

So why all the nineties nostalgia? “I think we’ve explored the eighties already. We have these generational moments, and twenty years feels like the right time to look back,” says Jenny Moore, one of the curators of the New Museum exhibition. But aside from the twenty-year mark, there are cultural similarities between today and the grunge era, which are ripe for exploration. For instance, health care and gay rights were climbing onto the political stage in the nineties. Today, they’re front and center. “A lot of what happened then—in terms of culture, fashion, and music—is still very much a part of our cultural discourse,” says Moore. The early nineties also marked the beginning of Rudolph Giuliani’s tenure as mayor of New York City, which many believe marked the end of the dirty, dangerous, free-spirited party that was old NYC. “It was the last hurrah for New York in this gritty, anything-is-possible moment.”

Krasilcic, who came to New York from São Paulo to study photography in 1990, concurs. “It really did feel like everything was possible,” says the photographer, who at the time was working with the likes of Dazed & Confused, Purple, and Self Service. “The distinction between art and fashion photography was really blurred, and the clothes were just an accessory to the idea that we wanted to talk about.” Not surprisingly, his favorite nineties subject was indie queen Chloë Sevigny (above), whose photographs feature in his show and book. Don’t call it a comeback—Chloë is one nineties icon who never left.

The New Museum’s 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star runs through May 26; Marcelo Krasilcic’s exhibition will be open at Colette from today through March 20.
Photos: Above: Marcelo Krasilcic, Below: Art Club 2000;

11.13.2013

1990s COLETTE VIDEO




Video shot during the 1990s exhibition opening at Collete!

10.30.2013

1990s IN ETERNAL OPTIMIST

1990s in the Eternal Optimist!
"How much am I in control of my destiny? That was one of my main questions during the 90’s. At the same time I was in love with the idea that photographs are perceived as reality. By creating images that looked real, I was able to write my own history. If I was feeling lonely, I had intimate images to remind me I was not alone. Photographs of rooms, objects, and the arrangement of furnishings represented a balance between choices and chance. When a band that had been styled and put into a staged situation but looked caught off guard in my shot, I was in heaven. The 1990’s presented opportunities through new magazines where fashion was just an accessory to tell a story, Chloë Sevigny was still a kid, a hand could be an eye, and to surpass our limitations was the expected outcome." M.K.

10.29.2013

1990s WITH COSAC NAIFY

1990s with Cosac Naify in Brasil!
Você pode comprar seu livro aqui!
Text by João Perassolo!


A imagem que melhor representa 1990s é, não por acaso, a escolhida para estampar a capa: uma jovem, Neca, capturada no exato momento em que cai na piscina, água espirrando para todos os lados. “Ninguém sabia o que ia acontecer, mas a gente não podia parar” avisa o leitor o texto de introdução, escrito pelo fotógrafo autor do livro, o paulistano Marcelo Krasilcic [que autografa no dia 5 de abril na SP-Arte].
O conjunto de 179 fotos reunidas em dois volumes gigantes captura a efervescência da música eletrônica nos anos 90 e seu entorno de moda, vida gay e comportamento. Foi o momento em que o underground passou a ser mainstream, quando lounge não era conhecido como música de elevador. Vide as imagens da atriz Chloë Sevigny no ferry e no metrô do World Trade Center, poucos meses antes da fama no filme ‘Kids’ (1995); ou o duo de trip-hop Everything But the Girl em pose blasè no banco traseiro de um carro, foto icônica que virou a capa do belo disco ‘Walking Wounded’ (1996).
Essa revolução na cultura jovem só poderia ser registrada com exatidão a partir do maior centro produtor de hypes do mundo, Manhattan, para onde Krasilcic se mudou com 20 anos, em 1990. Primeiro como estudante de fotografia da New York University e depois como profissional, abastecia as revistas Dazed & Confused, Purple, Self-Service e Visionaire, porta-vozes do movimento. Era a pessoa certa, no lugar certo, na hora certa. Sobram poses engraçadas nos ensaios fotográficos para os periódicos, a exemplo do modelo Maurizio chupando o dedão do pé ou da garota Nikki gritando com a boca colada no vidro do carro.
Embora boa parte dos cliques tenha sido produzido sob demanda comercial, paradoxalmente o aspecto mais bacana de ’1990s’ é seu tom pessoal, não-jornalístico, como se o autor nos mostrasse seus álbuns de fotos. O artista chama carinhosamente estes anos de sua “década de descoberta” – daí os registros de seus amantes e amigos, a maioria nus ou semi-nus, em espírito de festa-sem-fim: deitados em poses eróticas, correndo (para a piscina?) no reduto gay Fire Island, fazendo festa em grupo na cama de casal, olhando para a lente do fotógrafo com a toalha enrolada na cintura. Estão retratados personagens da cena paulistana como o estilista Dudu Bertholini e o diretor do Mix Brasil André Fischer, à época bastante jovens.
1990s guarda um forte parentesco com Babado Forte (Editora Mandarim, 1999), livro da jornalista Erika Palomino que lança um olhar apaixonado sobre a interface da juventude de São Paulo com a moda, a noite e a música eletrônica na virada do século 21. Foi quando “a grande mídia habituou-se a cobrir estes assuntos com atenção e simpatia”, ela diz. Era o início do plano Real, a globalização e a internet davam seus primeiros passos, e isto fazia a informação circular mais rápido, colocando o país definitivamente na rota do consumo cultural.
O trabalho de Krasilcic traz de volta estados de humor que parecem ter perdido espaço no imaginário sisudo do novo milênio: a diversão pela diversão, o prazer da descoberta do mundo, a deliciosa fantasia da vida noturna que dizia “don’t forget your sunglasses” – não esqueça os óculos escuros – porque a festa iria até às 11 horas da manhã do dia seguinte.

10.28.2013

1990s IN VOGUE BRASIL

1990s in Vogue Brasil!
Text by Nô Mello!

10.27.2013

1990s IN DAZED & CONFUSED

1990s in Dazed & Confused!
Text and interview by Laura Rzemieniecka!


Marcelo Krasilcic was part of a generation of photographers that moved to New York in the 1990s and he quickly became known for his spare but erotic photographs of liberated youth, artists, designers and musicians, such as Maurizio Cattelan, Chloë Sevigny and Everything but the Girl – photographs that captured the spirit of the 1990s in situ. Krasilcic went on to forge an international career as a fashion photographer, portraitist and director of art, music and fashion videos.
His work has appeared in several fashion publications such as Dazed & Confused, Harpers Bazaar, Vogue, Elle and Vogue Hommes International. He created campaigns for Nike, Moêt & Chandon and Bergdorf Goodman among many others; and photographed actors and musicians such as Willem Dafoe, Joaquin Phoenix, M.I.A., Caetano Veloso and Drake.
Krasilcic is now exhibiting his work at the Colette in Paris from the February 25th to March 30th 2013, where he will also be selling his new book, an over sized, cloth bound two-volume publication which chronicles the photographer’s iconic and intimate aesthetic that continues to inform today's lifestyle and fashion photography.
You have a new book that’s just come out, could you tell us a bit about it?
The book is a collection of fashion, portraits, interiors, nudes and personal photos of friends, family and lovers taken in the 1990s. It is an oversize, clothbound, slipcased, two-volume publication. The internet didn’t exist in the 90’s and it is a great pleasure to introduce these images I love to a whole new generation.
You’ve shot celebrity music artists such as M.I.A, William Dafeo and Drake, is there anyone else you would love to do a photo shoot with?
I love shooting celebrities and portraying them more intimately then they are used to be seen. There are so many amazing people I haven’t shot yet but the ones that come to mind today are George Clooney, Anne Hathaway, Maggie Smith, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rihanna, Barack Obama, Madonna, Demi Moore, Prince Harry, Kim Kardashian, Vanilla Ice and Neymar.
Your editorial style proved incredibly influential. How would you characterise your take on photography?
I like my images to look real, intimate and inquisitive. But Krazy Chic is my style signature!
You worked for our magazine for a while. What was that like?
It was one the most amazing magazine experiences ever! Being surrounded by some of the most talented people in the industry and at the epicenter of the creative wave of the 90’s was sweet.
When your career started, your photographs were described as capturing the spirit of the 1990s, do you feel some of you photographs still reflect the 90s?
In the 90’s, ideas were more important then anything else. Since then, I have learned to make sure the clothes also look beautiful. But my aesthetics and dedication to the work haven’t changed.
How do you think moving to New York in the 90s helped your career?
New York embedded me with a sense of freedom and hard work that mixed with my innate Brazilian fun and sensuality created the right balance for success.

What has been your best memory of your career so far?
Oh, there are so many incredible memories that it is impossible to pinpoint just one! But I recently shot a 69 years old iconic transvestite that reminded me of how fearless we can be.

What have you got planned for the future?
Besides inspiring people with my photography and cooking (yes, watch out for those vegan recipes!), I am looking forward to being a bit more Krazy and a lot more chic!


10.26.2013

10.24.2013

1990s IN PURPLE DIARY

1990s opening at Colette in Purple Diary!

10.23.2013

#PHOFOAM IN CENTER FOR AESTHETIC REVOLUTION

Read the entire posting and view the #PHOFOAM images by Pablo León de La Barra in the Center for Aesthetic Revolution!

1990s AT COLETTE


1990s exhibition and book signing at Colette!
You can buy your book here too!

10.22.2013

1990s IN L'OFFICIEL BRASIL




1990s book in L'officiel Brasil! Written by Sergio Amaral!

10.18.2013

#PHOFOAM PHOFOAMANCE IN FIRE ISLAND





#PHOFOAMING selects of my #PHOFOAM performance in the Fire Island Pines Performance Series. With Johannes Vogt, Pati Hertling, Fabian Bernal, Daniel Werner, Daniel Gortler, Charles Renfro, Alexander Galan,  Ryan Bradshaw Greene, Italo Zucchelli, Carlos Motta, Pablo Leon de la Barra, Evan J. Garza, Ryan James MacFarland, Dave Harper, Angela Donhauser, Julian Asfour, Adi Gil, Gabi Asfour, Jessica Mitrani, TM Davy, Michael Bullock, Cay Sophie Rabinowitz, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Tyler Ashley, Faris Al-Shathir and Alejandro Garcia among many others! Be creative! PHOFOAMANCE in the air!

#PHOFOAM HAIRSTYLE

#PHOFOAM in the Fire Island Pines Performance series!
Get creative!

10.16.2013

JOSH RYLEY




The sexy Josh Ryley for Untitled Project Journal!

9.23.2013

ROGÉRIA





The magnificent Rogéria for Candy Magazine and RG!
Styled by Dudu Bertholini
Hair & make up by Lau Neves
Photo assistant Arnaldo Borensztajn
Retouched by Jeremy Dyer

Special thanks to Vinicius Navarro and Ronald Monteiro

ROGÉRIA

I have loved Rogéria since I was a young boy. I grew up in Brazil, at a time when anything queer was taboo, and she was my first reference to something beautiful, different, exotic and yet cheerful, proud and celebrated by everyone.

I have wanted to photograph Rogéria for a long time and I was very excited when after more then a year pursuing her, we were able to finally schedule a date. Rogéria is a busy lady, but it was all worth it as she arrived lovelier, more intelligent, entertaining and fabulous then I could have ever imagined.

Born in the State of Rio de Janeiro and an excellent soccer goalie, Rogéria gave up on a possibly brilliant sports career when at 15 she tried on a wedding dress and realized she preferred a different kind of audience, and would much rather play with two balls, than of one. Songs have been written about Rogéria, who has performed all over the world, met many powerful people and has won a Mambembe award (equivalent to a TONY award) for her theater work in Brazil.

Stunning, sharp tongued, courageous, inspiring and the ultimate icon to all Brazilian gay and trans people, Rogéria has gathered many compliments but above all, her talent has captivated the minds and hearts of all Brazilians for over 50 years.

Rogéria was born 70 years ago and her real name is Astolfo Barroso Pinto. Ironically, in Brazil, the word 'pinto' is a commonly used slang for penis, and Rogéria very proudly speaks of having kept hers intact. She insists that her macho brother who is also her best friend, still calls her by her childhood nickname 'Tolfo', just so she doesn't loose sight of where she came from.  Deep inside, she never feels like a woman, for as she says, "I don't have a woman's soul". Instead, she says, "I have the mind of a woman".

Having started in show business doing hair and make-up for some of the most famous actresses of the time, soon, encouraged by those same actresses, she began performing and became a sensation herself. 

Since then, Rogéria has lent her talent to hundreds of theater plays and musicals, movies, soap operas and samba school parades. She has been a judge on some of the most popular TV shows and has been interviewed by the most prominent people in Brazil. Along the way, she spent almost 10 years travelling the world and performing in Portugal, Spain, Paris, Tehran and New York among many other places.

Nowadays, audiences can see her playing a caring mother and grandmother in an acclaimed soap opera in the largest Brazilian TV network.
Her character doesn't take no for an answer - and neither does Rogéria.
During the military dictatorship she says she kept her mouth shut when needed but had to fight for her right to perform and won the battle.

She attributes her determination to her family's constant love and support.
When she was 12, for example, her aunt saw her wearing a yellow skirt and told her mom about it. Instead of harsh words, the mother, asked Rogéria, "Why did you let your aunt see you?". And then she sent her to the movies, where she repeatedly watched 'How to Marry a Millionaire', starring Marilyn Monroe.    

In the 60's, Rogéria actually had a millionaire boyfriend who cried incessantly when he got dumped. She wasn't interested in his money for she had met the love of her life, a dark skinned man she called Preto. They met during carnaval in Rio and she fainted when they first kissed.  She was deeply in love, which, for Rogéria involves having orgasms, pain in the heart and tears running down her face, all at the same time.
They were together for 5 years and lived with Rogéria's family because her mother wouldn't let her move out. They are friends to this day. But when Preto asked her to choose between show business and their relationship, there was no doubt in her mind. She was born an artist and even the love of her life couldn't keep her away from the stage.

Two major passions, many passionate lovers - some famous and secret, others, just regular guys - and several decades later, Rogéria prefers to live by herself in order to avoid her lovers' jealousy.  The common ground between them all is their large cocks.  Rogéria is a proud 'size queen' and tells me about one of her lovers who sports a 25cm penis. He is 32 years old now and they have been lovers since he was 19. Another one of her lovers, a 28-year-old sweet-faced man, had an orgasm, just by looking at her.

How did her sexuality change over time? Nowadays, she says, "I don't need to have an orgasm every day, a few times a week is enough". And intercourse is not part of Rogéria's repertoire anymore. But don't try to kiss her and be all romantic in bed. She already gets plenty of love from her adoring fans. In bed she likes the look of disdain in her lover's face. It is the key to her orgasm.

Rogéria hasn't had any plastic surgery, although a car accident in 1981 left her with a visible scar on her face. But that never stopped her either. One month after the accident she was back on stage. When I asked if she had implants on her breasts, she was offended and made me touch them while to my delight, proceeded to smooch them onto my face.

Rogéria has always wanted to be defined and respected by her talent.  And that she has greatly achieved. But her charisma and joie de vivre have also greatly permeated everything she does.  Whenever she steps out into the streets, hoards of fans, from old ladies who comment on her hair (and declare their adoration) to married men who ask about her perfume so they can buy the same one to their wives, most want to take a photograph next to Rogéria. And to that she always obliges, happily, with her exuberant smile.

She welcomes everyone and we all love Rogéria. I asked her to define herself, to which she simply replied, "I am the transvestite for the Brazilian family".  

I don't have words to describe what I experienced that day. Rogéria posed, danced, sang, told stories, entertained and performed for the crew. I wish the whole world could have been with us, for it would have become a better world. Instead, I share these images with you and hope that in some way, they honor the talent of one of the most inspiring and greatest beauties I have ever met.