Interview with Fernando Grilli from Brazil

I am Fernando Grilli, and both of my parents were photographers. I was born in Rafaela, a small agricultural and livestock farming town in the interior of Argentina, in the province of Santa Fe. Since I was a child I have been in the darkroom, surprised every time an image appeared on paper in an acid bath. My father would ask me to carefully move each photograph with the tweezers to separate them inside the tray.

Sometimes, he allowed me to push the button on the Durs enlarger. A feast for me. I was the one who polished the photographs. I knew the secrets of how to mount them on the polishing plate, or how to work on drying the matte papers. My frequent ‘burns’ on my hands or arm, due to some carelessness, are still present. I remember a Voigtländer in my hands.

When I was about 18 years old, in the middle of the military dictatorship in Argentina, and even though I had a vast knowledge of photography, I was forced by the military to study photography to help my parents in the family business; Foto Conti, dedicated to photography for weddings, parties and events. I then took a professional photographer and film course at an extension of the Universidad Nacional del Litoral in the city of Santa Fe.

I don't really remember. It must surely have happened in my garden at home, photographing my little dog or some flower; and almost certainly, of course, my father and mother.

Sony a7rII and a7rIV. Lenses: Minolta 20 mm. Zeiss 85-1.4. 7 artissans 35-0.95. (among the most used). A 30-2,8. Sony 50-2,8. Sony 11/18-4,5/5,6. Sigma 70/200-2,8. Sigma 150/600-4,5/6,3. Sony a7rII and a7rIV. Lenses: Minolta 20 mm. Zeiss 85-1.4. 7 artissans 35-0.95. (among the most used).

I also have a Sony 30-2,8. Sony 50-2,8. Sony 11/18-4,5/5,6. Sigma 70/200-2,8. Sigma 150/600-4,5/6,3.

Maybe my studies in Fine Arts and Cinema, or my training with my parents, photographers of parties, weddings, events, etc; forged me as a ‘creator of emotions’. That's why my works have a very strong visual force in colours and textures, or in greys and light-dark spirituals when I work in Black and White.

It is a kind of mixture of several things: the emotions and surrealism transmitted by cinema; the creations of great masters of painting and the different narratives of great photographers.

Devotion, creation, and surprise.

Thank you. After the initial gratifying joy and gratitude, the continuation of greater creative efforts to obtain future recognition.

I decided to participate in EPA 2024 because I found it very interesting, and profound; created for artist photographers by true connoisseurs of photography and Fine Arts. The work with which I won my award is a photograph with a lot of final editing to visually communicate the emotional reality that needs to be told. It is part of the "Taperas" Series (in the interior of South America they call abandoned places like that) of the "De lo que Tengo - Texto y Contexto" Project. A series of 30 videos of 1 minute each, made with my own photographs, digital paintings, and algorithmic creations; with music by the Argentinean Master composer Remo Pignoni.

I received invitations to participate in other Awards, as well as the possibility to participate in magazine articles and exhibitions.

Man Ray (my greatest inspiration), Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Ansel Adams.

It was my father: when I asked him what aperture or speed I should use, or what ISO control I should set, he would tell me: try it. Try a few different ones and then you'll know what happens.

Do it with joy and devotion. And don't be afraid of making mistakes. It is by making mistakes that you learn the most, most of the time.

Be passionate and believe in what you are creating. "Love, Devotion, and Surrender."

It is very fluid, and dizzyingly fast. You need to be connected and eager to experiment with new tools, knowledge, and experiences.

A deep and heartfelt thank you for the invitation to this interview.