Books & Books presents …

by Tony Chirinos

Gallery Night Opening

Friday, September 2, 7 – 10 PM ET @ Books & Books

RSVP

Artist’s Statement:

Tony Chirinos, “The Beauty of the Uncommon Tool”

In the series called “The Beauty of the Uncommon Tool” I worked on concepts of seeing and perceiving. The works of Walker Evans’ tools, Karl Blossfeldt’s formal composition and Neil Winokur’s saturated color background influenced this body of work. The objective of these photographs is to take the tools out of context and place them in an ethnographic setting. These photographs are mechanical in form and express both sensual and primitive ideas. The tools may also take on a second meaning as sculptural or figurative objects. They are elegantly produced, rendering a tactile sensation. You see one thing and might perceive another.

About Tony:

I am a Miami-based photographer that explores the themes of death and the vulnerability of life.

My goal as an artist is to produce work that engages the viewer aesthetically and intellectually, that also moves beyond mere entertainment to something, which asks the viewer to think critically. I consider myself a documentary-style photographer, one that uses the visual language to create a photographic narrative. I strive in making sure that each photograph I make can stand by itself, with as much dynamic range, intellectual understanding and beauty as the entire photographic project. I had the good fortune to receive a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University in New York (2003). Beforehand I was trained as a Bio-medical photographer at Miami Children’s Hospital (1985), later in 1989 I created the Medical photography department at Baptist Health Systems until my departure in 2001. During those years I learned to produce the finest quality documentary photographs of the medical world which I later used as my artwork for some of my photographic projects. I am a Fellow of the South Florida Cultural Consortium (2010) and the recipient of Center’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2019). This summer, I applied and was awarded the William Talbott Hillman Foundation grant (2021) to financially assists in the printing production of my first monograph The Precipice (Late 2021). Currently, I am a tenured professor of photography at Miami Dade College and been teaching since (2003).

My work has been exhibited and or featured at, A NEW NOTHING, Vol. 3, Editing, sequencing and writing by S*an D. Henry-Smith, Sleeper Studio summer (2021); Atlanta Photography Group, Portfolio (2021); The Print Swap, Foley Gallery, NYC, (2020); “The Qualities of Light” at the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, (2020); Mercer County Community College – The JKC Gallery (2018); NY Art Book Fair, Printed Matter’s at Moma PS1, Conveyor Editions(2018); III Bronx Latin American Art Biennial (2012); Candela Books + Gallery (2012); FLINT magazine (2017); Photo-eye, Photographer’s Showcase (2013); Museé Magazine; The Leroy Neiman Gallery in New York, NY (2002); Hunter College/Time Square Gallery (2002); Centro Colombo Americano in Bogotá, Colombia (1997); Der Greif A Process 2.0 –Krakow Photomonth Festival, Krakow Poland (2016); Self Portrait: Silver Eye at 30, Silver Eye for Photography (2009); Newspace Center for Photography, Oregon (2011); The Center for Fine Art Photography; SRO Photo Gallery at Texas Tech University (2010); UNO St. Claude Gallery (2011); Photo Center NW (2010); The Center for Photography at Woodstock (2010); Martin and Pat Fine Center for the Arts in Miami Florida (2013); Art Miami, South Beach (2006); and Ism-Gallery, Wynwood Art District Downtown Miami Florida (2009) among others.

My project, “Farewell” was feature in Humble Arts Foundation (2017), AINT-BAD no. 14 (2019) and +KGP on Death (2019). I have participated in several portfolio reviews; the New York Times Portfolio review, FOTO Fest, Atlanta Celebrates Photography and Review Santa Fe. My first monograph titled The Precipice was released late 2021 with Gnomic Books. I have been very fortunate that some of my work has been collected by Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona; James Kerney Campus Gallery at Mercer County Community College; Candela Collection – Candela Books + Gallery, Richmond Virginia; Museum of Art and Design at Miami Dade College; CPW – The Center of Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock, New York; Light Work, Syracuse, New York; Photographic Center Northwest, Seattle, Washington; Enfoco, New York, New York and Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York to name a few.

All these accolades make me humble that people and institutions are interested in my work and what I stand for as a photographer. I hope to continue in making work that challenges my viewers to think critically about the visual world that I attempt to capture.