Photography, like other artistic languages, has the ability to keep a record of a given historical moment. Through it, we have access to its aesthetic characteristics, determined by the social class, the period, and even the climate of a region. Thus, the analysis of cultural differences in specific periods offers hindsight to living conditions during that time.
The dialogue between past, present, and future has always been present in our visual imagination. The past is a reference to a bygone society, the fluid present flees interpretation, and the future is the abode of imagination and creativity. In Sérgio Vicente’s photographs, we observe his interpretation of the past from the present. It seems important for the artist to approach past aesthetically. Taking advantage of cameras’ technical capacities he captures sharp images and clear lines.
I invite you to imagine a third layer in the photos of the artist, that of the future. How will future generations perceive our present? It is a fascinating topic because it is not only linked to photography as a mirror of society but also to the current debates about who we are and where we are heading.
The photographer is close to Baroque artists who, with their technical skill, managed to impress the public with naked reality. Contrary to the time when naturalistic paintings were produced, here the emphasis is on interpretation. It is worth reflecting on the impact of technical skills in the representation of reality. Visual narratives are mirrors for reflecting on reality and in these cycles of past, present, and future, Sérgio Vincent winks at the past in order to help us imagine the future.
