Jorge Brantmayer on Portraiture, Pinochet-Era Chile and the Ethics of the Camera
Born in Santiago de Chile in 1954, Jorge Brantmayer is an accomplished artist specializing in photography, holding a degree in Artes Plásticas. His work has been showcased across various countries, including Chile, Cuba, the U.S., France, Spain, Argentina, and Belgium, with notable series such as Muchedumbres and Cuerpo presente that delve into human diversity. Brantmayer has garnered several accolades, such as the Bicentenario photography award in 2010 and recognition from the Círculo de Críticos de Arte in 2017. He began his photographic journey during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, highlighting social disparities. At 70, he perceives photography as a lifestyle and encourages aspiring photographers to embrace dedication and passion.
Key facts
- Jorge Brantmayer was born in Santiago de Chile in 1954 and studied Artes Plásticas and photography.
- His series include Muchedumbres, La vida está en otra parte and Cuerpo presente.
- He received the Bicentenario photography prize in 2010 and was honored by the Círculo de Críticos de Arte in 2017 for Geografía de la Piel.
- His first authored photograph, made around 1977 or 1978 under Pinochet, showed a dead merluza chained and nailed to wood.
- He credits the photographers' association AFI with circulating images of detentions and disappearances abroad during the dictatorship.
- In Muchedumbre he has photographed hundreds of people across social classes and trades.
- He says police in Chile sometimes confiscate photographers' negatives and hard drives in the Bio Bio conflict.
- He notes documentary photo contests now require unmanipulated RAW files to counter AI and editing doubts.
Entities
Artists
- Jorge Brantmayer
- Augusto Pinochet
- Albeiro Arciniegas
- Victoria Arribas Roldán
- Jorge Ortega Gonzalo
Institutions
- Plataforma de Arte Contemporáneo
- Amigos del Arte
- Fundación Futuro
- Altazor
- Círculo de Críticos de Arte
- AFI
Locations
- Santiago de Chile
- Chile
- Cuba
- United States
- France
- Spain
- Argentina
- Belgium
- Bio Bio
- Nepal