Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Jesusa Vargas reviews Fernando Aceves

“I really led the first generation of concert photographers in Mexico. At that time the concert industry was still emerging, so I had no other competition."
                                                            Fernando Aceves

Fernando Aceves was born and raised in Mexico City and was introduced to photography through his mother. In the late 1980’s, concert photography was not popular and Fernando found an opportunity to take photographs of musicians when famous bands from the United States and Europe began touring in Mexico. 

Fernando’s use of digital photography allowed him the ability to photograph some of the most profound and famous artists at any time without worrying over lighting or loading film and missing shots. He is able to share different perspectives of famous people that fans hadn’t seen. 

A photography series titled David Bowie: Among The Mexican Masters has previously been exhibited at the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale, California. David Bowie had visited cultural landmarks in Mexico City as well as historical sites. These photographs certainly share a narrative that peaks interest in any viewer of Mexican culture.

In the photo above, David Bowie appears to be “immersed in study” just as the mural’s title suggests. His side profile is taken; he is not centered in this composition, perhaps strategically so, exposing the people in the background that are painted in the murals. Bowie becomes a part of the imagery, a part of the mural, and carefully and seriously studying the artwork.

In this photograph, Fernando shoots Bowie centered at the bottom of a Mexican Pyramid. His stance appears to be praising the sun god; Bowie stands in a dark shirt, which contrasts with the tan pyramid behind him. His body and stretched out arms mimic the pathways leading up and across the pyramid. 
 

Another photograph, not part of the Bowie collection, is taken at a pyramid. In this photo, Ozzy Osbourne stands similar to Bowie with his arms stretched out. Though he is not centered in front to the pyramid, the horizontal lines in his vest mimic the same horizontal levels that appear in the background on the structure. 



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