Atlas, one of the titans in Greek mythology, fought Zeus in the war between the Olympian gods and their predecessors. After ten years of confrontation, the gods won. While some of the defeated titans were sent to Tartarus, Atlas was condemned to hold up the sky on his shoulders.
The Atlantic Ocean, unlike the mythological figure after which it was named, does not hold up the sky; it sustains villages and people from three continents, instead. It is thus closer to the popular misconception of Atlas, where the unfortunate titan is represented holding the Earth (instead of the firmament), upon his shoulders.
Buy Atlas book
Carlos M. Fernandes
work | João Mariano
work
25 years since the opening of Ether (1982/1996), the curtain rises once
again on a new space in Lisbon exclusively dedicated to photography:
the P4Photography Gallery.
Following the success of the first
photography auctions in Portugal (which began in 2006), P4 developed a
new strategy focusing on the photography arts in general. This includes
the creation of a data base and sale of photography books (several of
them out of print), the production of limited-edition prints and now
the foundation of a photography gallery.
The P4Photography Gallery,
which will show the work of both Portuguese and foreign artists, aims
to become a major player in the photography field in Portugal. Some of
the great international photographers have worked in Portugal, showing
a particular empathy with the Portuguese sensibility: Henri
Cartier-Bresson, Lou Stettner, Thurston Hopkins, Harry Callahan,
Sebastião Salgado, etc. More recently, Sarah Moon, Candida Höffer, Hedi
Slimane and Bert Teunisssen have also paid tribute to this fascination.
Several Portuguese contemporary photographers – Gérard Castello- Lopes,
Paulo Nozolino, Jorge Molder, José M. Rodrigues, Helena Almeida, Edgar
Martins, Daniel Blaufuks and others – have also become internationally
known, spreading the Portuguese way of seeing (if such a thing exists).
The P4Photography Gallery will exhibit not only well-known
photographers but also newcomers, particularly those with an interest
in all things Portuguese. A daunting task when one thinks that there
are traces of Portugal all over the world.
Carlos M. Fernandes, João
Mariano and Rui Fonseca are three photographers whose work reflects
this philosophy. They have traveled extensively (Iceland, Norway,
Continental Portugal and the Azores) in search of the overwhelming
energy of the Atlantic and Atlas.
Luís Trindade, P4Photography founder. Opening text on Atlas book
[03-10-08].
Rui Fonseca Pico, The Azores, 1999. Gelatin silver print