Networking Artist

[imperato]

December 12 – January 24, 2009
Opening Reception: Friday December 12, 7-10 pm

Gallery Imperato is pleased to announce a solo exhibition of works by photographer Carlos Tarrats. In his new body of work, Tarrats moves away from the landscape and focuses more on the idea of portrait. Life, death, and hope are no longer themes. The work is much darker, and death seems to be an evident theme, but this is not the case. The majority of Tarrats new photographs feature subjects positioned directly in the center. These subjects are just there, not alive and not dead. Acceptance has replaced the idea of hope. While the work visually resembles his last series, the mindset behind it has changed completely. Tarrats is no longer thinking about the unknown. He is accepting what is.

Bright red paint is splattered across the surfaces. Subjects exist inside dark atmospheres that seem almost post-apocalyptic. Commonly mistaken as digitally manipulated imagery, Tarrats is in actuality constructing elaborate sets with a variety of props and materials. With a medium format camera, he photographs the sets through sheets of plexiglass. Washes of color and scratches in the plexiglass mask the subjects, adding a layer of mystery to the work.

Based out of Los Angeles, California, Carlos Tarrats has a vast array of work including both commercial and fine arts photography. He received a BA in Art Studio at the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2001. In 2004, he earned his BFA in photography at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Tarrats has been featured in publications such as Communication Arts, Los Angeles Times Magazine West, Smart CEO, and Urb Magazine. He graced the cover of CameraArts Magazine in 2007 and was a 1st place recipient of the International Photography Award for Still Life.

http://www.galleryimperato.com/
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Cheri R. Landry