Trilogy

It is a magical land that where Flor Gardu o moves, holding her camera. A land reminiscent of Mexico, where she was born; a land pervaded by myths and legends; a land plunged into a voluptuous and sensual nature, kissed by the sun of those exotic and ancestral places.

Trilogy is a collection of the works Gardu o realized throughout many years of photography between Mexico and Europe. Her great and magnificent visual production develops through a dance in three movements. The overture is Bestiarium, in which real and fictional images of enchanted animals come to life as metaphors of our dreams and passions. Then we have Fantastic women, a celebration of the feminine universe and of the mystery and sensuality that spring from the female body. The dance ends with Silent natures, where Gardu o contemplates wilderness because, quoting the photographer herself, whenever I think of Silent natures, I must confess that I created these photographs for myself, to maintain my playful spirit throughout all these years.

Flor Gardu o was born in Mexico and studied visual arts at the Academy of San Carlos, where she focused on the search for the structural aspects of form and space. She gave up her studies to work as a darkroom assistant for Manuel lvarez Bravo, one of Mexico's most prestigious photographers. Renowned worldwide, Gardu o has been awarded many prizes thanks to her works that have been exposed and published all over the world. Trilogy is the final consecration of thirty years of the photographer's activity.

Author: Flor Garduno
Publisher: Contrasto
Published: 04/19/2011
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 5.20lbs
Size: 12.10h x 12.10w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9788869652776

About the Author
Flor Garduno: Biography
1957 Flor Garduno was born in Mexico City on March 21. When she was five years old, her family moved to a hacienda 25 km from the capital city where she lived in close contact with animals and nature, an experience which enhanced her character.
1976 - 1978 Flor studied visual arts at the Old San Carlos Academy (UNAM), where she focused on the search for the structural aspects of form and space. She became especially interested in the work of Kati Horna, a Hungarian photographer who left Europe during the rise of National Socialism.
Together with the magical and expressive dimension of her photography, Horna's personality had a significant impact on the development of Flor's work.
1979 - 1980 Flor gave up her studies to work as a darkroom assistant to Manuel Alvarez Bravo, one of Mexico's most prestigious photographers.
She perfected her photographic skills by processing prints in silver, platinum and palladium; her career as a photographer was defined as of this time.
1981 - 1982 Flor began to work at the Department of Public Education under the supervision of photographer Mariana Yampolsky; during this period, she visited remote rural zones to find appropriate themes for schoolbooks, an experience which enabled her to gain insights into Mexico and the lives of its indigenous groups while also defining her own style. One example of her work at this time is entitled Water. This haunting image depicts a woman emerging from a waterfall surrounded by dark foliage. This archetypical vision is not simply a description, but rather leads the spectator into a magical dream world.
1982 Her first individual exhibition was held at the Jose Clemente Orozco Gallery in Mexico City.
1983 Flor took part in the Four from Mexico exhibition staged at the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, USA.
1984 At joint exhibitions held at the Children's Museum in Paris, France, and the Cultural Center in Juchitan, Oaxaca, Mexico, Flor presented a series of photographs on the theme of Death in Mexico.
1985 Encouraged by the enthusiasm and editorial support of painter Francisco Toledo, Flor published her first book entitled Magia del juego eterno, which represented six years' work. This project was presented at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Mexico City.
1986 The Magia del juego eterno exhibition was presented at Chambre Claire during "Le mois de la photo" in Paris, France. Flor participated in several joint exhibitions, including those staged at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, USA.
She printed personally all the photographs included in the exhibition of the Swiss architect Mario Botta at the Modern Art Museum (MOMA) in New York.

1987 Her second book, Bestiarium, was published by U. Bar Verlag, Zurich, Switzerland.
She presented an individual exhibition at the House of Latin America in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
1988 Bestiarium, was shown at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Mexico City.
Flor presented a series of exhibitions in Europe, Canada and the USA.
1990 She received a grant from the Swiss Federal Cultural Fund, Berne, Switzerland.
She was awarded a photography grant by FONCA CONACULTA, Mexico.
1991 Flor offered a series of exhibitions in Montpellier during Les Rencontres d'Arles, France.
1992- 1993 Swiss magazine Du fully dedicated its January edition to Flor. In March, the Zurich newspaper Tages Anziger also published her work. In April, the book Witnesses of time was published in five languages and seven editions (Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, England, USA and Mexico).
The exhibition Witnesses of time (72 photographs) was staged at the following locations: l'Elysee Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland; Reiss Mannheim Museum, Germany; Foto Fest, Houston, USA; Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA; Fine Arts Museum, Mexico City, Mexico; Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, USA; Americas Society, New York, USA; Meadows Museum, Dallas, USA; Museo d'Arte di Mendrisio,