The photographic work of three-time Academy Award winner, noted author and photographer Vittorio Storaro is on display in his exhibition
“Writing with Light: The Civilta Romana Collection” at the Coconut Grove Arts Festival Gallery through Jan. 3, 2015.
Storaro, who earned Oscars for Best Cinematographer in Apocalypse Now (1979), Reds (1981) and the Last Emperor (1987), is widely hailed for his cinematographic achievements and photographic vision. He received a fourth Academy Award nomination for Dick Tracy (1990) and served as cinematographer for such other notable films as Last Tango in Paris, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Ishtar and Bulworth.
Showcasing Storaro’s natural talent for conquering light, the exclusive exhibition presents the culmination of a never before- seen project that began in the late 1980s. During a five-year period, Storaro traveled throughout Italy, Syria, Turkey, Greece and other locations that once belonged to the Roman Empire, to document ruins and preserve their magnificence for future generations.
The Civilta Romana Collection showcases Storaro’s use of double exposure, long before digital photography and Photoshop were available to create the same effects. By combining two or more stunning images into one, the revered artist provides a unique perspective of the Roman Civilization.
Personal photos, featuring several celebrity portraits from his award-winning film career, also are on display. Storaro, the son of a film projectionist, began studying photography at the age of 11. His early films were made in his homeland of Italy.
Storaro’s first major film, The Conformist, was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and marked the first of their many collaborations. He went on to work with such legendary directors as Francis Ford Coppola, Warren Beatty and Richard Donner.
In addition to the three Academy Awards, Storaro’s many awards and accolades have included a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers and he also has received awards from various film academies such as: David di Donatello (Italy), BAFTA (Great Britain), Goya (Spain), Emmy (US) and the European Film Award. The Coconut Grove Arts Festival Gallery is a contemporary art gallery and neighborhood institution in Coconut Grove. Produced by the Coconut Grove Arts and Historical Association, the gallery presents regular exhibitions by emerging and established artists representing varied mediums, yet all with a connection to South Florida.
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival Gallery, located at 3390 Mary St., is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment.
For more information about the Coconut Grove Arts Festival Gallery, visit www.cgaf.com.
