Sandro
(American, b. 1958, resides in Chicago)
An accomplished commercial photographer, Sandro was inspired at a young age by the work of the Irving Penn. After starting his career in 1980 as an assistant to photographer David Deahl in Chicago, Sandro began his own practice and for the past twenty-five years he has pursued a particular interest in portraiture. Describing his practice in Graphis magazine, Sandro stated, “I document people in a way that is physical, but non-invasive—I am physically very near to them—because that allows me to get close to what they are and to how they want to be remembered. I do it without gimmicks, filters or overdone makeup and hair. My photographs are more document than theater, more truth than performance, more summary than surface.”
One of his two portfolios in the Midwest Photographers Project consists of portraits of varied subjects, including well-known actors and athletes like John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, Michael Jordan, and Dwayne Wade. Although he often relies on extensive research to prepare for a shoot and he maintains a sophisticated level of control over the lighting, Sandro takes a fluid approach to portraiture, responding attentively to his subjects rather than orchestrating preconceived staging. The second portfolio consists of a new series, Peering In (2012-ongoing). A departure from his portraiture work, this series examines the overstimulated state of contemporary cities around the world. Sandro’s images employ the glow of the architecture, advertisements, and store windows, as well as the constant flow of pedestrians, to portray the noise and chaos in an urban environment.
Portraits
Peering In
