Bob Wolfenson (1954)
Brazilian photographer.
Since beginning his professional career at the age of sixteen in the studio of Editora Abril, São Paulo-born Bob Wolfenson has worked in all the main photographic genres. And he has done so successfully, both in his studio and on trips around Brazil and the world – having breakfast in the empty dining room of the Hotel Glória in Caxambu or ordering room service at the Copacabana Palace. One of Brazil's leading portrait, nude and fashion photographers, Wolfenson moves between advertising and art. His works are in the collections of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (Pirelli-Masp Collection), the Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, the Museu de Arte Brasileira da Faap and Itaú Cultural, among others.
He began his career at 16 as a photography assistant at Editora Abril, where he stayed for four years. In 1974, he began working as a freelancer, shooting for some of Editora Abril's technical magazines, such as Químicos e Derivados and Máquinas e Metais. The photos were of businessmen - the famous "boneco" [dummy], in journalistic jargon.
In 1978, he set up his first studio and studied Social Sciences. In 1982, he moved to New York, where he worked as an assistant to American photographer Bill King. Back in Brazil, his career took a new direction, and from 1985 he began shooting editorials for various magazines. His recognition as a photographer came after the exhibition Jardim da Luz, in 1996, at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo.
He was responsible for several photo shoots for Playboy and numerous covers and fashion editorials. In 2004, he held the exhibition Antifachada - Encadernação Dourada at the Museu de Arte Brasileira of the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado, and his photos became part of various collections, museums and art institutions.
Today he is considered by many to be one of the greatest photographers in Latin America. Bob Wolfenson has photographed dozens of top models and done many major advertising campaigns, despite being essentially an artist.
Bob Wolfenson is currently co-editor of the magazine he himself co-created, S/N (read "Sem Número" [No Number]).
Chronology
1954 - Born in São Paulo. 1966-67 - His first photos.
1970 - Joins the Editora Abril photography studio, then headed by photographer Francisco Albuquerque, as an apprentice intern, and stays there for 4 years.
1973 - Enters the Social Sciences program at USP.
1974 - Leaves Editora Abril and begins a solo career as a freelance photographer for the publisher's own magazines.
1982 - Travels to New York and works as an assistant to photographer Bill King.
1985 - Begins working for the leading Brazilian magazines.
1989 - Holds his first solo exhibition, “Minhas Amigas do Peito”, at Galeria Fotóptica.
1990 - Launches the book and exhibition “Portfolium” at Galeria Collector’s; from this series, two photos are acquired by MASP for its collection.
1991 - Pirelli acquires and exhibits three of his photos, which become part of the Pirelli Photography Collection. Revista Gráfica issue 30 publishes a 16-page feature on his work.
1995 - Wins the Funarte - Ministry of Culture award for best photographer of the year in the applied art category for the campaign for the Viva Vida label, shot in Israel. Vogue magazine publishes a special issue on his work.
1996 - Holds the exhibition “Jardim da Luz” at MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo) and launches a book of the same name, co-published by Cia das Letras and DBA Books and Arts. The French magazine Photo publishes 4 pages about him in a special issue on Brazil.
1997 - Receives the Phytoervas Fashion Awards prize for best fashion photographer of the year. 1998 - Nominated again for the Phytoervas Fashion Awards.
1999 - Invited by the Marlboro Adventure Team to photograph its competition in Mexico and the United States (Utah).
2000 - Nominated again by ABIT for best fashion photographer of the year. The work for the Marlboro Adventure Team results in a joint book with photographer J.R. Duran, published by Bookmark. Co-edits and launches the image, fashion, lifestyle and photography magazine 55.
2002 - In association with the printer Litokromia and the designers Hélio Rosas and Roberto Cipolla, launches the magazine S/No, successor to the defunct 55. Holds the exhibition “Moda no Brasil por Brasileiros” at the Bienal Pavilion as part of São Paulo Fashion Week. 2003 – Launch of the book “Moda no Brasil por Brasileiros”, in partnership with Paulo Borges, published by Cosac&Naify. Edits and fully photographs the Voyeur issue of Homem Vogue magazine.
2004 - Wins the first prize of the Fundação Conrado Wessel, awarded exclusively to advertising photographers, for the best advertising photograph of 2003 (Grendene campaign with model Gisele Bündchen). Launches the photography box set/book containing the series “Antifachada” and “Encadernação Dourada”, published by Cosac&Naify, and holds the corresponding exhibition at the Museu de Arte Brasileira da FAAP in São Paulo.
2005 - With photographer Fernando Laszlo, curates the exhibition of the New York-based Brazilian photographer Otto Stupakoff at the São Paulo Fashion Week venue.
2006 - For the tenth edition of São Paulo Fashion Week, photographs the calendar of the 25 most important models in the event's history, among them top models Gisele Bündchen, Isabeli Fontana and Raquel Zimmermann.
2007 - Traveling exhibition “À Moda de Bob Wolfenson”, a retrospective of his fashion photography, at FAAP – Ribeirão Preto and FAAP – São José dos Campos. Exhibition of 15 large-scale images, “A Caminho do Mar”, on industrial landscapes evocative of his childhood, at Galeria André Millan - São Paulo.
2008 - Wins the awards for best fashion photographer and best advertising photographer at the event O Melhor da Fotografia no Brasil, which brings together only curators, photographers and researchers in the field.
2009 - Writes and launches the book “Cartas a um Jovem Fotógrafo” [Letters to a Young Photographer], about experiences from his career and professional life. Three of his images from the series “A Caminho do Mar” are acquired by the Pirelli - MASP Collection. Launches the box-book-portfolio “Cinepolis”, under the curatorship and artistic direction of the international photographer and curator Pierre Devin, published by Schoeler Editions. Holds the exhibition “Cinepolis” at the Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia. For the second time, wins the award for best fashion photographer at the event “O Melhor da Fotografia no Brasil”, which brings together only curators, photographers and researchers in the field.
2010 – Holds the exhibition “Apreensões” at the Centro Universitário Maria Antonia and launches the book of the same name through Cosac&Naify.
2011 – Holds the exhibition “Cinepolis” at Galeria da Gávea in Rio de Janeiro. Takes part in the exhibition “Bom Retiro e Luz: Um Roteiro, 1976 – 2011”, curated by Diógenes Moura, at the Centro de Cultura Judaica in São Paulo.
2013 – Holds the exhibition “Belvedere” at Galeria Millan in São Paulo. Launches the book “Belvedere”, published by Cosac&Naify. Takes part in SP Arte Foto with Galeria Millan, showing “Belvedere”. Takes part in the exhibition “Bom Retiro e Luz – Um Roteiro” at Sesc Bom Retiro, curated by Diógenes Moura.
Source: Artist's Website, SP Arte
