Gal Oppido (São Paulo SP 1952)
Gal Oppido is a photographer, architect, musician and draftsman. He lives and works in São Paulo, where he teaches the photography course Luz Marginal Procura Corpo Vago [Marginal Light Seeks Vacant Body] at MAM/SP. He graduated in Architecture from the Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo da USP (FAU/USP) [USP School of Architecture and Urbanism] in 1975. In 1976, he began working with photography, establishing connections with drawing. He taught visual language at the Universidade Católica de Campinas between 1979 and 1990. From that year on, he began working independently as a photographer.
His specialties include body expression, architecture and the performing arts. In the performing arts, he photographs images that are not necessarily present in the show but that represent it. In architectural photography, he develops a reading of space from a single plane, and has published two books on the architecture of the city of São Paulo: Dos Degraus à História da Cidade [From the Steps to the History of the City] (1998) and São Paulo 2000 (1999). In body expression, he produces performative works with portraits of people, as in the exhibition Prata sobre Pele sobre Prata [Silver on Skin on Silver], shown in 2002 at the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo.
Critiques
"Gal Oppido takes a breath, stretches, inhales the city and launches himself into space. On the way he picks up a spotlight (up there at the Banco do Estado), turns it into a flying saucer and, an imaginary astronaut, gazes from up high at his city, blue. As the Earth is. He embraces the metropolis and lands on the rooftops. Indiscreet, he peeks. Then giant São Paulo shrinks, becomes human, as it used to be; when people strolled along the avenues and chatted with the buildings (or rather, the houses).
Gal Oppido has captivated the city and seems to play with it, like a child. City - game. Choose the pieces, place one on top of the other, turn on the lights, toss a few toy cars down below to make the image more real, and that's it; a city is born. Reaching the clouds (up high there is a sky and a São Paulo sun), in search of the angle, the best one, Gal Oppido forgets the danger (careful, Gal, one more step back and you may turn into a flying bird, forever!)."
Stefania Bril
BRIL, Stefania. São Paulo, chão e céu. Obrigatório. O Estado de S. Paulo, São Paulo, 26 jun. 1985. p. 19.
"Gal Oppido, with his Naturezas I to IV [Natures I to IV], proves, to anyone who still doubts it, that photography is a way of exercising the gaze. The most trivial landscape, devoid of interest, is exceptionally enhanced by the photographic framing, to the point of being transfigured into an unusual apparition with a science-fiction atmosphere. Without falling into abstraction, Oppido builds his images in the most inventive way, discovering new ways of looking at a landscape, which is why his results are the most original in the group."
Arlindo Machado
MACHADO, Arlindo. Mostra de qualidade no 1º Salão Fuji. São Paulo, 03 fev. 1985. Ilustrada, p. 61.
"Each image seeks to recover the city's forgotten objects, or urban 'trash', such as cans, plastic bottles, pieces of sidewalk, plants, wires, printed matter and animal bones.
In certain photos, the collision of these objects becomes a game of representation, as in the image showing a warrior who seems to be protected by a shield, shaped from a cement bag, roots and electrical wires.
Since he does not stop at building the installations, Oppido seeks to explore the particularities of the objects, catching them in their natural characteristics.
Thus, the paint covering a chair is actually colored laundry detergent, captured at the moment it reflected a certain density of blue."
Ana Maria Guariglia
GUARIGLIA, Ana Maria. Fotógrafo reanima 'lixo' urbano em ensaio. Folha de S. Paulo. Especial-1.
Collections
Coleção Pirelli/Masp de Fotografias [Pirelli/Masp Photography Collection] - São Paulo SP
Banco de Dados Informatizado Itaú Cultural [Itaú Cultural Computerized Database] - São Paulo SP
Solo Exhibitions
1998 - Brasília DF - Crônicas Urbanas [Urban Chronicles], at Itaú Galeria
2003 - São Paulo SP - Prata sobre Pele sobre Prata [Silver on Skin on Silver], at Pinacoteca do Estado
Group Exhibitions
1981 - São Paulo SP - Veracidade [Veracity], at IAB/SP
1982 - São Paulo SP - Poses Paulistanas [São Paulo Poses], at Pinacoteca do Estado
1983 - São Paulo SP - Circulando o Circo [Circling the Circus], at MIS/SP
1983 - São Paulo SP - Naturezas [Natures], at Centro de Convenções Rebouças and CCSP
1984 - Campinas SP - Espaço Cultural Tulha de Café
1984 - Havana (Cuba) - Colóquio Latino-Americano de Fotografia [Latin American Photography Colloquium]
1984 - São Paulo SP - Auto-Retrato do Brasileiro - Cidade e Campo [Self-Portrait of the Brazilian - City and Countryside], at Fundação Bienal
1985 - 4ª Semana Nacional de Fotografia [4th National Photography Week], at Galeria Debret
1985 - São Paulo SP - 1ª Exposição de Fotografia Contemporânea [1st Contemporary Photography Exhibition], at Salão Fuji
1985 - São Paulo SP - 1ª Quadrienal de Fotografia [1st Photography Quadrennial], at MAM/SP
1985 - São Paulo SP - Entradas e Coberturas [Entrances and Rooftops], with Carlos Fadon Vicente, at Salão Fuji de Arte Fotográfica
1985 - São Paulo SP - Fotografando a Paisagem Urbana [Photographing the Urban Landscape], with Carlos Fadon Vicente, at Faculdade Santa Marcelina de Arte de São Paulo
1986 - Havana (Cuba) - 3º Colóquio Latino-Americano de Fotografia [3rd Latin American Photography Colloquium]
1986 - Paris (France) - Zoom au Brésil, Mois de la Photo
1986 - Washington (United States) - The City of São Paulo Captured by 23 Photographers, at Brazilian American Cultural Institute
1987 - São Paulo SP - Arte e Meio Ambiente [Art and the Environment], at Palácio de Convenções do Anhembi
1987 - São Paulo SP - Fundo Finito [Finite Background], at Galeria Fotóptica
1988 - Brasília DF - Notícias da Semana [News of the Week], at Funarte
1988 - Campinas SP - Fotografia Contemporânea em Campinas [Contemporary Photography in Campinas], at MIS/Campinas
1989 - Ourinhos SP - Nove Fotógrafos [Nine Photographers], at Itaugaleria
1989 - São Paulo SP - 9 Fotógrafos [9 Photographers], at Itaugaleria
1989 - São Paulo SP - Absurdos [Absurdities], at 20ª Bienal Internacional de São Paulo
1989 - São Paulo SP - Ver o Invisível [Seeing the Invisible], at MIS/SP
1989 - São Paulo SP - Vestes [Garments], at MIS/SP
1990 - São Paulo SP - Imagens de São Paulo [Images of São Paulo], at Citibank
1990 - São Paulo SP - Sedução [Seduction], at MIS/SP
1991 - Arles (France) - 22º Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie [22nd International Photography Meetings]
1991 - Belo Horizonte MG - Ver o Invisível [Seeing the Invisible], at Palácio das Artes
1991 - Colombia - An Exchange of Concepts on the American Landscape
1991 - São Paulo SP - A Paulista no Papel [Paulista Avenue on Paper], at Masp and Expofoto
1991 - São Paulo SP - Coleção Pirelli/Masp de Fotografias [Pirelli/Masp Photography Collection], at Masp
1991 - São Paulo SP - Ícones Modernos [Modern Icons], at Casa de Fotografia Fuji
1991 - São Paulo SP - Objeto Menor Abandonado [Abandoned Minor Object], at MIS/SP
1991 - São Paulo SP - Retrospectiva 20 Anos [20-Year Retrospective], at Escola Imagem e Ação
1992 - São Paulo SP - 2ª Coleção Pirelli/Masp de Fotografias [2nd Pirelli/Masp Photography Collection], at Masp
1992 - São Paulo SP - Mulheres de Vogue [Women of Vogue], at Shopping Iguatemi
1993 - São Paulo SP - Mês Internacional da Fotografia - Fotografia Brasileira Contemporânea [International Month of Photography - Contemporary Brazilian Photography], at Sesc Pompeia
1994 - São Paulo SP - Relações Co-medidas [Co-measured Relations], at Espaço Cultural Banco Nacional
1994 - São Paulo SP - Taxidermia [Taxidermy], at Galeria Fotóptica
1995 - São Paulo SP - Mês Internacional de Fotografia - Retratos [International Month of Photography - Portraits]
1995 - New York (United States) - Das
1995 - Ouro Preto MG - Festival de Artes de Ouro Preto [Ouro Preto Arts Festival]
1995 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Taxidermia [Taxidermy], at Funarte
1995 - São Paulo SP - Coletiva Brasileira de Retratos Anos 80 e 90 [Brazilian Group Show of Portraits from the 1980s and 1990s], at Espaço Cultural Faap
1995 - São Paulo SP - Das, at Galeria André Milan and Centro Cultural São Paulo
1996 - Belém PA - 2º Salão Unama de Pequenos Formatos [2nd Unama Small Formats Salon], at Universidade da Amazônia - Galeria de Arte
1996 - Curitiba PR - 1ª Bienal Internacional de Fotografia de Curitiba [1st Curitiba International Photography Biennial]
1996 - Ribeirão Preto SP - Espaço Luz [Light Space], at MIS/Ribeirão Preto
1996 - São Paulo SP - Anti-mitos Urbanos [Urban Anti-Myths], at MAC/USP
1996 - São Paulo SP - O Cidadão e o Corpo: a busca e reconquista dos padrões humanos de movimento [The Citizen and the Body: The Search for and Reconquest of Human Movement Patterns], at Sesc Pompeia
1998 - Belo Horizonte MG - Crônicas Urbanas [Urban Chronicles], at Itaú Cultural
1998 - Penápolis SP - Crônicas Urbanas [Urban Chronicles], at Itaugaleria
1998 - São Paulo SP - Crônicas Urbanas [Urban Chronicles], at Itaú Cultural
1998 - São Paulo SP - Fronteiras [Frontiers], at Itaú Cultural
1999 - São Paulo SP - Fotocolecionismo [Photo Collecting], at Galeria Luisa Strina
1999 - São Paulo SP - Fotógrafos e Fotoartistas na Coleção do Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo: fotografia contemporânea brasileira [Photographers and Photo Artists in the Collection of the Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo: Contemporary Brazilian Photography], at Espaço Porto Seguro de Fotografia
1999 - São Paulo SP - Prêmio J. P. Morgan de Fotografia [J. P. Morgan Photography Award], at MAM/SP
1999 - Wolfsburg (Germany) - Brasilianische Fotografie 1946 bis 1998, at Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg
2000 - São Paulo SP - A Figura Humana na Coleção Itaú [The Human Figure in the Itaú Collection], at Itaú Cultural
2000 - São Paulo SP - A Fotografia no Espelho [Photography in the Mirror], at Espaço MAM - Villa-Lobos
2001 - Brasília DF - Mostra de Arte Contemporânea [Contemporary Art Exhibition], at Conjunto Cultural da Caixa
2002 - São Paulo SP - Fotografias no Acervo do Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo [Photographs in the Collection of the Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo], at MAM/SP
2002 - São Paulo SP - Visões e Alumbramentos: fotografia contemporânea brasileira da coleção Joaquim Paiva [Visions and Illuminations: Contemporary Brazilian Photography from the Joaquim Paiva Collection], at Oca
2003 - São Paulo SP - Clube de Colecionadores de Fotografia do MAM [MAM Photography Collectors Club], at MAM/SP
2003 - São Paulo SP - Labirintos e Identidades: a fotografia no Brasil de 1945 a 1998 [Labyrinths and Identities: Photography in Brazil from 1945 to 1998], at Centro Universitário Maria Antônia
2003 - São Paulo SP - Ordenação e Vertigem [Order and Vertigo], at CCBB
2004 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Novas Aquisições 2003: Coleção Gilberto Chateaubriand [New Acquisitions 2003: Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection], at MAM/RJ
2004 - São Paulo SP - (Des)construindo São Paulo [(De)constructing São Paulo], at MIS/SP
2004 - São Paulo SP - Gal Oppido e Hugo Curti [Gal Oppido and Hugo Curti], at Museu da Casa Brasileira
2004 - São Paulo SP - Gal Oppido e Roberto Stelzer [Gal Oppido and Roberto Stelzer], at Memorial da América Latina
2004 - São Paulo SP - Panoramas SP, at MIS/SP
2004 - São Paulo SP - Povos de São Paulo: uma centena de olhares sobre a cidade antropofágica [Peoples of São Paulo: A Hundred Views of the Anthropophagic City], at Galeria Olido
2004 - São Paulo SP - São Paulo 450 Anos: a imagem e a memória da cidade no acervo do Instituto Moreira Salles [São Paulo 450 Years: The Image and Memory of the City in the Instituto Moreira Salles Collection], at Centro Cultural Fiesp
2004 - São Paulo SP - Uma Centena de Olhares sobre a Cidade [A Hundred Views of the City], at Galeria Olido
Source: Itaú Cultural
