MARTIM A. MEIRELLES – Nazare: Beyond the Wave
We have the pleasure to exhibit Nazare: Beyond the Wave by Martim A. Meirelles.
Press Release
ARTIST STATEMENT
My photographs allow light to be shed on the people, places and moments that often go overlooked and unnoticed. Through my photographic work, I wish to develop a dialogue concerning the beauty, struggle and diversity of our complex world. I believe a successful image is one that elicits an emotional response, prompts a past memory to resurface, or has the ability to alter one’s way of looking. I strive to create impactful images that, whether through subtle beauty or harsh reality, engage the viewer in a visceral and realistic visual journey by way of my own perspective.
The photo series “Nazaré: Beyond the Wave” provides the viewer with an up-close and in-depth look at the lives, the traditions and the stunning scenes, both vibrant and dark, that shape Nazaré. During my month-long residency there, I captured emotionally charged moments of subjects in their natural environment ranging from fishermen at sea to widows mourning the death of their husbands. These 20 photographs are presented in black-and-white because, as the great American photographer Robert Frank said, black and white “symbolizes the alternatives of hope and despair that mankind is forever subjected.”
With its Canhão da Praia do Norte generating colossal waves that reach upwards of 20 meters in height, Nazaré has in recent years become a hotspot for thrill-seeking surfers from around the world, most notably Garret McNamara, the North American surfer who holds the Guinness World Record for riding a 23-meter wave in 2011. As a result of its impressively large waves, Nazaré is regarded as one of the top and most talked about surfing destinations in Europe. However, waves aren’t the only thing Nazaré has to offer; together with its gorgeous beaches, this small fishing town has a tremendously rich history and continues to carry on its deeply rooted traditions.
These works where produced during Meirelles Artistic Residency in Portugal organized by Arte Institute.
Biography
Born in 1993, Martim A. Meirelles is a Portuguese-American artist from New York City working primarily in the medium of photography. Although he photographs mainly in the digital format, Meirelles has been greatly inspired by the early 20th century photographers and continues to shoot black-and-white film. His work focuses on capturing both the beauty and struggle of the people and places around him that often go overlooked and unnoticed. In 2014, Meirelles was selected to participate in the “Portugal: Artistic Residency” organized by the Arte Institute. Meirelles recently graduated from the University of Miami with a BA in Art and a BA in Psychology and has exhibited work in several galleries including the CAS Gallery in Coral Gables, Florida and the IMT Gallery in London. Meirelles currently lives and works in New York.