PHOTO CONFESSIONAL: Ricardo Gómez Pérez
Serie: “Beachlife” in progress since 2023
IF YOU WEREn’T A PHOTOGRAPHER, WHAT OTHER PROFESSION WOULD YOU PICK?
I wanted to be a journalist before studying photography. I applied to a university in Spain after high school, but because of the bad post office system in Venezuela, I received the approval letter one year later. It was too late to respond. I missed the chance. Too bad. I also would have enjoyed being a musician but didn’t have the ear for it.
Serie: “Beachlife” in progress since 2023
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CRUCIAL DECISION YOU HAVE MADE IN YOUR CAREER’s DEVELOPMENT?
After 12 years in Europe, ten of which were spent in London and the remaining two traveling and exhibiting my work titled “Nudes and Encounters”, around Arles in France, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland and Portugal. I was at the peak of my career as a renowned artistic photographer. I exhibited my work in the most prestigious galleries and museums across. i then decided to return to Caracas, Venezuela, to visit my mother. This was a significant decision for me, as I ended up staying in Caracas and couldn’t return to Europe. It was a major life change that I don’t regret. I have chosen to start a family instead of pursuing my career on the old continent. It was a big change in my life that I have enjoyed for 40 years, and I am very satisfied with my decision. I got three big boys and a wonderful wife called Gisela Viloria, a graphic designer. Time has passed in a smooth way.
HOW IMPORTANT IS RESEARCH IN YOUR WORK?
For me, all my projects come from intuition rather than research. I take a lot of photographs daily and i slowly get to a subject that seems to emerge from the mass of images I’ve shot. Research comes later, once I’ve decided on the subject i want to continue pursuing and taking photographs of.
IS THERE A PHOTOGRAPHER/ARTIST WHO IS A CONSTANT REFERENCE FOR YOU?
There are several photographers who have been important references in my career. I would mention them almost chronologically as they appeared in my life: Larry Clark, Ralph Gibson, Mark Cohen. I also attended a workshop with Charles Harbutt, which was a significant turning point in my career. Later, I participated in workshops with Richard Misrach and Lewis Baltz. Additionally, Danny Lyon was one of my heroes at that time. I met Manuel Álvarez Bravo in London one day at the Photographer’s Gallery. We became good friends and traveled together with Ricardo Jiménez. This period was also a very important time in our lives.
Serie: “Beachlife” in progress since 2023
WHAT WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO PHOTOGRAPH?
I can’t bear to see death or criminal injustice. I am always in pursuit of aestheticism in my pictures and I would not like to photograph situations outside of that.
Serie: “Beachlife” in progress since 2023
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE, AND WHAT IMPORTANCE DO YOU GIVE TO TECHNIQUE?
I have used all kind of formats. From medium format cameras like Hasselblad to toy cameras and panoramic camera, 35 mm, Diana and Holga cameras. Leica was my favorite for many years in London. I did some of my iconic images with a Leica CL. I loved the small size of it. Paulo Nozolino sold me his camera when we were studying, I felt in love with that small equipment. A few years later I lost it in Paris and that was the end of an era for me. I continued with Leica like always. Later in Venezuela I saw the introduction of the first iPhone camera by Steve Job and got hooked immediately. Once I was so interested in the evolution of that iphone camera that I exchanged my Hasselblad X Pan for the latest iPhone at that time. Those were the days when analogical photography was going out of the market in Caracas, rolls were scarce and labs were closing down.
WHAT IS THE STARTING POINT OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
I start a new project by shooting the same subject every day. In the process, ideas and new ways of looking at the subject are emerging. It always takes a few years for the project to mature.
Serie: “Beachlife” in progress since 2023
HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY WITH a #tag?
#irreversible or #encounters.
Serie: “Beachlife” in progress since 2023
at what point did you feel you were a photographer, and what made you think that way?
After moving to London in 1976, entering the London College of Printing was a turning point. It was during this time that I realized I wanted to pursue photography as a career. It was incredible to be in a college where I could experiment freely with the best equipment and materials. I had the opportunity to work on fashion and in documentary projects, and to try out any special analog materials available. I was so passionate about photography that I made the most of every minute I spent there. The three-year diploma course broadened my horizons and opened my eyes to the world.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH REJECTION?
When I was doing the series of Teddy Boys in London after doing the same for three or four years, I started to look for magazines that might like to publish my work. The editors could not understand how a foreigner was interested in shooting that environment, plus there was an English photographer called Chris Steele-Perkins going to the same pubs that I frequented. Of course, he was their first choice and in the eyes of the editors I was copying his work. I got rejected several times. But I continued working on this project and suddenly one day I was asked to do an exhibit at the Photographer’s Gallery, under the title “Punks a Teds”; exhibition in 1979. My counterparts were my friends: Karen Knorr and Olivier Richon. That was a breaking point for me to begin showing my work in different press-media and galleries around Europe. So, I think one must insist in reaching our goals and finally it will come the time you will be accepted. If you are convincing and love your work it will come to life and be transcendental.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SUCH SUCCESS?
By constantly believing in what I am doing for each series of photographs I made.
HOW DO YOU APPROACH STRANGERS IN YOUR PROJECTS OR TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PROJECTS?
I always ask before shooting in a close community. Like it was with the Teddy Boys. Slowly, I was getting familiar to them and accepted in their parties and gatherings. I went sometimes to their houses and saw them preparing and dressing the whole family to go out for a dance party or concert. I would give them prints and they would pay for my beers. I was slowly gaining their confidence in a way.
Serie: “Beachlife” in progress since 2023
IS IT COMMON FOR YOU TO QUESTION YOURSELF OR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?
I question myself every day. Mindfulness is a big part of my approach, and I'm always thinking about the privileges I'm provided in my career, and how I can hopefully provide a just platform for the people I photograph.
HOW IS YOUR APPROACH TO THE ART WORLD/ PHOTO-BOOK WORLD?
We started a small editorial house called Intervalo Taller Editorial, together with my old partner Ricardo Jiménez and my wife Gisela Viloria, IG: @intervaloediciones. We started to realize that the world of photobooks was coming up, after listening to Horacio Fernández, when he visited Caracas and gave a very illustrative talk on the theme which was growing fast in Europe. Together we decided to bring out off the computer some books we have and Gisela designed our first book with the photographs of Jiménez. It was called “Paisaje Vertical”; and we managed to print only 20 copies. All handmade, they sold out very fast at a high price because they were an artist book, unique and impossible to repeat. After several years we have made photobooks for other photographers like “Black”; for Ernesto Costante, “No Me Mires” By Ana María Ferris, “El Baúl”; for Herman Sifontes. Another artist-book of short limited edition was In-Mácula-Das for Nelson Garrido. It was made out of the máculas printing of his monographs made for La Cueva Editorial. Each book was a unique handmade copy. We believe very strongly that to make a book is the closing point of a strong series of photographs. It is the perfect round-up for a photographer’s ideas.
Serie: “Beachlife” in progress since 2023
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A NEW PHOTOGRAPHER WHO IS JUST STARTING OUT?
The photography market is highly saturated, making it difficult for new photographers to establish themselves. Perhaps too much. It is hard to survive as a photographer. I would recommend them to perhaps start with another career and do not live on photography solely. Make money as a lawyer or architect to be able to do photography freely. But that depends on how serious you want to be. I see today many people taking courses on photography just to pass the time or make catharsis. That is valid too. All I can say to all of them is that Photography is not easy and it implies a lot of sacrifices. While it’s true that the photography industry is highly competitive, there are still plenty of opportunities for aspiring photographers. Finding your niche and developing a unique style can help you stand out. Building a strong online presence through social media and your own website is essential in today’s digital age. It’s also important to remember that photography is a journey, not a destination. Be prepared to invest time and effort into learning new skills and techniques. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. And most importantly, stay passionate about your craft. While it’s wise to have a backup plan, don’t let the fear of failure hold you back. Many successful photographers started out as hobbyists and gradually turned their passion into a career. With hard work, dedication, and a little bit of luck, you can achieve your goals.
WHAT WOULD be your next project about?
It's difficult for me to plan ahead or work on demand. I only follow the rules when working on commercial assignments. For my personal work, I let time flow freely. Currently, I'm working on two subjects. One explores abstract matter, while the other focuses on capturing the gaze of beachgoers. Slowly but surely, a new series will emerge soon.
Serie: “Beachlife” in progress since 2023
ABOUT Ricardo gómez pérez
Ricardo Gómez Pérez is a Venezuelan photographer, visual artist and curator. he graduated from the London College of Printing with a master's degree in graphic arts specializing in photography, at the Manchester Polytechnic, England. In 1989, his photograph “Blossom“ was published in the commemorative catalogue: “150 Years of the History of Photography” at the Stockholm Museum, Sweden.
He has participated in numerous international exhibitions, individual and group. His work is found in various collections such as the National Library of Paris, the George Pompidou Center, Paris, the Royal Library of Copenhagen, the Paul Getty Museum in San Francisco and Fotografiska Museet in Stockholm, Sweden; as well as in Venezuela, in the Urban Photography Archive, Caracas; and Noa Noa Foundation, Caracas.
Portrait by roberto mata
