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work includes meticulously framed single images, and multiple images of tracking shots, which are scanned and composited later by digital means. Polidori describes his photographic approach as inquisitive: "When you point a camera at something, it is like asking a question. But the picture that emerges is like an answer." He also noted the paradox of photographic labor, "to deliver up to some surface an epitome of something that occurred as an instant in the continuum of time, and to somehow how have it represent all of time." Interested in creating commemorative images which serve memory or history, some series like "Havana" include portraiture, while others like the
Chernobyl
343:
attendance of "more youthful
African-Americans than usually make their way into the Met," he concluded: "It is for our children and our grandchildren—for the historical record... This is what it looked like; this is what we don’t want to happen again." This approach was debated within art blogs and criticized for contextual loss when one image was used in a Brazilian non-profit, anti-smoking campaign. At the time of his 2016 New York exhibition, Polidori commented: "Personally I am more attracted to photographs that attempt to be more objective and 'emblematic' of a subject’s qualities rather than a personal subjective interpretation of phenomena."
417:(SĂŁo Paulo and Rio de Janeiro). His work has also been shown in private galleries around world including Bykert Gallery (New York), Edwynn Houk Gallery (Zurich and New York), Paul Kasmin Gallery (New York), Mary Boone Gallery (New York), Fontana Gallery (Amsterdam), Galerie Karsten Greve (Paris), Flowers Gallery (London), Nicholas Metivier Gallery (Toronto), Galerie de Bellefeuille (Montreal) and Galleria Carla Sozzani (Milan and Seoul).
371:, as "meditations on the concepts of transience and decay, the cracked and peeling walls revealing layers of history," Stephen Wallis concluded: "Polidori has never been purely a documentarian. His interest has always lain in making 'psychological portraits' of architectural spaces, which he sees as vessels for memories and as projections of the people who have lived there." At the time of the 2006 Metropolitan Museum's exhibition
266:(2001) by Steidl Verlag. Also interested in inner-city habitats or "auto-constructed" growth, Polidori recorded the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, urban sprawl of Brasilia, construction boom in Dubai, and slums of Mumbai. In May 2001, he photographed the closed Chernobyl nuclear power plant and nearby ghost town of Pripyat, Ukraine, and these images were later published as
315:. From 2011 to 2015 Polidori also revisited and rephotographed Rio as well as Mumbai, including Dharavi's industrial street facade in a series of tracking shots. Exhibited as composite panoramic murals at Paul Kasmin Gallery (New York) in September 2016, these images were also published in the accompanying volume
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Polidori takes photographs with a large-format analog (photographic film) view-camera using 5x7, 8x10, or 11x14 inch color sheet negatives although, at times, uses a medium-format camera. Shot in natural light with up to 5-minute exposures, his images are described as "almost forensic" in detail. His
364:
retrospective, curator
Paulette Gagnon commented on the beauty of Polidori's photographs, "the subtle colours and perfect harmony of line and material seem to endow the image with some of the power and appeal of paintings," as well as their power: "Concerned above all with the human condition, he
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journalist
Michael Kimmelman noted that Polidori's images "also express an archaeologist’s aspiration to document plain-spoken truth, and they are without most of the tricks of the trade that photographers exploit to turn victims into objects and pictures of pain into tributes to themselves." In
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of mnemonic systems requiring the memorization of empty rooms, he purchased a large-format camera in 1982 and photographed abandoned and apartments on New York's Lower East Side. In 1983 he moved to Paris and, interested in how empty spaces revealed history, began to document the restoration of
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In a review of the 2006 "New
Orleans after the Flood" exhibition, John Updike described his approach: "Polidori, his work makes clear, loves the grave, delicate, and poignant beauty of architecture when the distracting presence of human inhabitants is eliminated from photographs." Noting the
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arouse contains an increment of discomfort at the poshness of the volumes and the aura of glamorous selflessness bestowed upon the photographers and their photographic appropriations, the record is indeed enhanced, for posterity to consult, and to use in ways we cannot imagine."
307:. Polidori returned to Beirut in 2010 where he photographed the damaged rooms of the famous Hotel Petra, abandoned during Lebanon's civil war. The following year, he traveled to Paris to photograph the stored art collection of
359:
review, Beatrice
Zamponi wrote, he "trains his lens on the ruins of recent times, on dilapidated surroundings infused with profound aestheticism, turning them into a subtle instrument of social investigation." At the time of
181:
retrospective exhibition in 2009, curator
Paulette Gagnon described his work as a "photographic account that invites us to share the historical moments it portrays, making them part of the collective memory."
214:, to a French-Canadian mother and a Corsican father. At age 9, Polidori's family moved to the United States where his father worked as an engineer at Air Force bases and NASA installations. He grew up in
355:, art director Tom Jacobi described Polidori as "a master of spatial aesthetics, while writer Von Jochen Siemens called him a "cultural detective for places with a story to tell". In a
283:
In the wake of
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Polidori photographed the damaged homes and buildings of New Orleans, and documented the city's early restoration in 2006. Published as
262:
to photograph Havana's decaying architectural heritage and joined the magazine as a staff photographer in 1998. Images from his Cuban series were later published in
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were also mounted in London, Venice, and
Toronto, as well as in New Orleans. During this time, Polidori continued to document the restoration of
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384:, author John Updike wrote, "it is the wrecked, mildewed interiors that take our eye and quicken our anxiety.... If the discomfort that
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explains situations – often crisis or disaster – that brings us back to life's essentials and shatter our complacency." Described in
276:. Described by editor Martin C. Pedersen as "a keen observer of the built world", the magazine later published his urban images as
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Described as one of the "most esteemed practitioners of large-scale photography," Polidori has photographed the restoration of the
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and, inspired to study filmmaking, moved to New York City. The following year, he was hired by the legendary
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Château de
Versailles as a symbol of "society’s superego". In the late 1990s Polidori was engaged by
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244:. In 1980 he graduated with a Masters of Arts in film from State University of New York (Buffalo).
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270:(2003). In 2002 Polidori was commissioned to photograph Detroit's Michigan Central Station for
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Polidori became interested in still photography while editing film frame-by-frame. Inspired by
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The Metropolitan Museum: "New Orleans after the Flood: Photographs by Robert Polidori." 2006.
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Pedersen, Martin C. "Robert Polidori on Making Pictures, DIY Cities, and the Pull of India."
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110:(SĂŁo Paulo and Rio de Janeiro). His photographs are also included in the collections of the
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311:, and to Venice to photograph the fashion label Bottega Veneta's fall 2011 campaign at the
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as "New Orleans after the Flood", a popular and well-attended exhibition. Exhibitions of
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476:(SĂŁo Paulo and Rio de Janeiro). His photographs are also included in the collections of
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405:: New Filmmakers Program (New York), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York),
287:(2006) by Steidl Verlag, many of these images were also exhibited at New York's
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1999 & 2000 Alfred Eisenstaedt Award for Magazine Photography, Architecture
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since the early 1980s. He has also recorded the architecture and interiors of
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Wallis, Stephen. "Edward Burtynsky and Robert Polidori’s Shared Visions."
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758:. Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal/Steidl, 2009. pp. 1-7. Print.
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Gerber Klein, Michèle. "Artists in Conversation: Robert Polidori."
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Gagnon, Paulette. "Sounding Reality." Translated by Judith Terry.
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The Levant: History and Archaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean
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Polidori's work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the
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MacCash, Doug. "Robert Polidori defends his post-K decisions."
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Since 2015, Polidori and his family live in Ojai, California.
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303:(2009), were included in his retrospective exhibition at the
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1023:: "Photos from the Archive: Robert Polidori’s Havana." 2014.
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Siemens, Von Jochen. "When buildings start to tell a story.
94:. His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the
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Kimmelman, Michael. "What’s Wrong With This Picture?"
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Sites Greco-Romaines de la Tripolitaine et Cyrénaïque
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2008 Liliane Bettencourt Prix de la Photographie for
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and these photographs, published in the three-volume
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Pedersen, Martin C. "Robert Polidari's Metropolis."
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78:(born February 10, 1951) is a Canadian-American
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1039:: "Robert Polidori" by Beatrice Zamponi. 2016.
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138:(Paris), as well as many private collections.
185:He was also the cinematographer for the 1980
1031:: "An interview with Robert Polidori." 2012.
934:"Jonas Mekas / Robert Polidori: Portraits."
173:nuclear disaster, and shelled structures in
854:Zones of Exclusion – Pripyat and Chernobyl
617:Libya: The Lost Cities of the Roman Empire
583:Zones of Exclusion – Pripyat and Chernobyl
268:Zones of Exclusion – Pripyat and Chernobyl
82:known for his large-scale color images of
16:Canadian-American photographer (born 1951)
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733:Zamponi, Beatrice. "Robert Polidori."
541:Chronophagia: Selected Works 1984–2009
420:His work is in the collections of the
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902:"An interview with Robert Polidori."
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446:Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
407:Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
362:Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
305:Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
202:Robert Polidori was born in 1951 in
179:Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
100:Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
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710:Wall Street Journal: WSJ. Magazine
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273:Metropolis (architecture magazine)
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635:PĂ©rouse de Montclos, Jean-Marie.
622:PĂ©rouse de Montclos, Jean-Marie.
608:Eberle, Todd, and Joaquim Paiva.
567:. Instituto Moreira Salles, 2009.
561:(3 volumes), Steidl Verlag, 2009.
503:2006 Deutscher Fotobuchpreis for
950:"Polidori and people pictures."
442:Los Angeles County Museum of Art
353:Fotografic Portfolio Edition #41
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883:Updike, John. "After Katrina."
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559:Parcours Muséologique Revisité
511:Parcours Muséologique Revisité
497:1998 World Press Award for Art
403:Whitney Museum of American Art
242:Whitney Museum of American Art
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982:Jacobi, Tom. "Introduction."
867:Robert Polidori's Metropolis,
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601:Gatier, Pierre-Louis, et al.
553:Points Between... Up Till Now
434:Museum of Fine Arts (Houston)
309:Yves Saint Laurent (designer)
301:Parcour Muséologique Revisité
149:, the inner-city habitats of
885:The New York Review of Books
624:Chateaux of the Loire Valley
577:Robert Polidori’s Metropolis
565:Robert Polidori: Fotografias
450:Victoria & Albert Museum
382:The New York Review of Books
347:Recognition and contribution
278:Robert Polidori's Metropolis
124:Victoria & Albert Museum
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596:Photographic Collaborations
397:Exhibitions and collections
373:New Orleans after the Flood
169:, buildings emptied by the
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422:Metropolitan Museum of Art
289:Metropolitan Museum of Art
96:Metropolitan Museum of Art
952:Alec Soth's Archived Blog
615:Di Vita-Evrard, Ginette.
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430:New Orleans Museum of Art
116:New Orleans Museum of Art
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1052:Robert Polidori Website.
984:Fotografic Portfolio #41
780:Fotografic Portfolio #41
474:Instituto Moreira Salles
415:Instituto Moreira Salles
413:museum (Berlin) and the
108:Instituto Moreira Salles
61:Canadian-French-American
782:, 2010, pp. 4-8. Print.
610:Brasilia de 0 a 40 anos
368:The Wall Street Journal
238:Anthology Film Archives
218:, southern California,
1077:Canadian photographers
856:. Steidl, 2003. Print.
843:. Steidl, 2001. Print.
666:"Robert Polidori CV."
591:. Steidl Verlag, 2001.
585:, Steidl Verlag, 2003.
579:. Steidl Verlag, 2005.
573:. Steidl Verlag, 2006.
555:, Steidl Verlag, 2014.
549:. Steidl Verlag, 2014.
543:, Steidl Verlag, 2014.
537:. Steidl Verlag, 2015.
531:. Steidl Verlag, 2016.
525:. Steidl Verlag, 2016.
466:Bibliothèque Nationale
326:Equipment and approach
229:Wavelength (1967 film)
136:Bibliothèque Nationale
1072:Artists from Montreal
472:museum (Berlin), and
454:Château de Versailles
297:Château de Versailles
177:. At the time of the
143:Château de Versailles
128:Château de Versailles
106:museum (Berlin), and
1047:: "Robert Polidori."
986:, 2010, p. 1. Print.
906:, #02, 2 Nov. 2012.
478:Princeton University
438:J. Paul Getty Museum
426:Museum of Modern Art
120:J. Paul Getty Museum
112:Museum of Modern Art
936:Edwynn Houk Gallery
800:, 99, Spring 2007.
689:Edwynn Houk Gallery
486:New York University
69:Photographic Artist
997:The New York Times
869:2004, p. 5. Print.
852:Polidori, Robert.
839:Polidori, Robert.
668:RobertPolidori.com
470:Martin-Gropius-Bau
411:Martin-Gropius-Bau
333:Zones of Exclusion
319:by Steidl Verlag.
313:Palazzo Papadopoli
104:Martin-Gropius-Bau
88:urban environments
639:. Artabras, 1994.
626:. Könemann, 1997.
619:. Könemann, 1999.
605:. Könemann, 2001.
484:(New Haven), and
254:The Art of Memory
251:' description in
191:Personal Problems
163:Hurricane Katrina
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337:After the Flood
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547:Eye & I
523:Hotel Petra
234:Jonas Mekas
220:New Orleans
167:New Orleans
161:, the post
58:Nationality
1061:Categories
1029:The Ground
904:The Ground
825:CommonEdge
644:References
637:Versailles
452:(London),
126:(London),
35:1951-02-10
468:(Paris),
464:(Paris),
460:(Paris),
390:Aftermath
171:Chernobyl
92:interiors
938:. 2012.
280:(2005).
226:'s film
204:Montreal
52:, Canada
46:Montreal
632:. 1997.
612:. 2000.
216:Seattle
841:Havana
589:Havana
492:Awards
264:Havana
212:Canada
208:Quebec
175:Beirut
157:, and
151:Mumbai
147:Havana
50:Quebec
1045:Artsy
159:Amman
1001:Web.
972:Web.
968:NOLA
956:Web.
940:Web.
924:Web.
908:Web.
889:Web.
829:Web.
802:Web.
739:Web.
714:Web.
693:Web.
672:Web.
388:and
90:and
29:Born
535:RIO
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153:,
130:,
118:,
102:,
86:,
48:,
37:)
33:(
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