Luiz Queiroz uses photography to take care of what affects him. He captures in the voids, feels in the landscapes, in the people, in the environments what needs to be created. He is interested in the human element inserted in the scene, in the commonplace. He avoids the obvious and captures the event in the lens, in the angle, in the deformation of the perspective that makes the image unique and powerful. He establishes an intuitive and immediate contact with the relationship with the situation, with the object and knows how to capture the mood, as if stealing the image from the atmosphere, without interfering in the scene. As an image craftsman, he builds the atmosphere he intends point by point, expanding the expressiveness of his work. He technically imprints his history and his vast experience as a photographer.
Luiz Queiroz has his own style, striking and recognizable from the light, imprinted in the pupil of the eye, secrets of a good photograph, the mirror of the studio.
How did your journey into the art world begin?
Due to a flood. I have been taking pictures since I was 8 years old. It has always been a passion. At the age of 23, I became a professional photographer. Alongside my professional work, I obviously took pictures for pleasure, but I never gave it much importance. Until 2000, when I lost 90% of my analog collection in a flood in São Paulo. I gathered what was left, started organizing the material and realized that there could be more to it than just memories. Now that I am older and no longer in the professional market, I am dedicating myself more intensely to artistic production, which has resulted in several exhibitions and some photobooks that are already circulating in Brazilian homes.
What is your creative process like?
Totally intuitive. I'm not a photographer who leaves home with a project in mind looking for specific photos, nor do I write down the details of each photo. I photograph whatever I like in front of me and then, at home, I try to analyze where those images could go. And that's how I form my series. Some series are ready in a day and others take years. I also revisit old photos, ones I took years ago and didn't value but that suddenly, today, could be wonderful.
Who are the artistic influences that have impacted your work?
In photography, Cartier Bresson, Robert Mapplethorpe, Richard Avedon, and Oliviero Toscani himself, with whom I worked as an assistant. But painting also plays an important role. From the Renaissance masters, the Dutch, to the Impressionists. Since childhood, I have always been impacted by LIGHT, whether natural or painted.
What is the role of the artist in today's society?
Today it is extremely important, although it is often overlooked. We are living in a mix of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Ignorance and the exaltation of stupidity and idiocy against creativity, beauty and freedom. The artist has an important job in fighting against this moment of prejudice, denial of life and conservatism. It is always in these moments of crisis that artists stand up to keep the window of evolution open.
