ROGÉRIO VIEIRA | SOMOS TODOS ALVOS AQUI

ROGÉRIO VIEIRA | SOMOS TODOS ALVOS AQUI
*We are all targets here

“Somos Todos Alvos Aqui” * (We Are All Targets Here) is a crude and candid portrait project that comes with the goal of fanning the debate about police violence experienced by people from city outskirts and favelas throughout Brazil; people who, for the most part, are black-skinned. Daily tools and accessories are used as a metaphor and refer to the deaths of persons killed by police officers who mistook a tool for a firearm.
On Monday, September 17th, 2018, Rodrigo Alexandre da Silva Serrano was shot by police who allegedly mistook his umbrella for a rifle.
What color was Rodrigo’s skin?
I chose to photograph with a medium-format camera; on average, five to six poses were used for each character. All subjects depicted in this essay are from the city I live in, São Paulo.
*The essay’s title is the chorus of the rap “Estereótipo” by MC Rashid.

Rogério Vieira

Rogério Vieira started his career in photography in 2007, recording the streets of São Paulo with his analog camera. In 2008, he participated in the collective show celebrating Festival Dulôco’s 10th anniversary, promoted by Sesc, with performances by rap and hip-hop artists. The following years were dedicated entirely to photography, working at social and corporate events.
He was admitted to Universidade Paulista (Unip) photography course in 2011 when he got in touch with new photographic concepts.
From there, Vieira’s professional career went in other directions, expanding the development of authorial projects. His primary focus became the production of portraits aligned to street influences, such as using natural and artificial lighting flash, critical components in building his photographs. Rogério Vieira received national and international awards and nominations throughout his career. His work has been exhibited in high-profile festivals, both in Europe and Latin America.
Vieira’s projects received extreme worldwide exposure in international magazines and publications, including an article published in Lens Magazine, Issue #83, August 2021, dedicated solely to Fine Art Portrait Photography.

Getting To Know: Rogério Vieira

Lens Magazine: Please share the background of your photography journey. Did you grow up in a creative environment? What led you to the fine art photography field?

Rogério Vieira: I grew up surrounded by a cultural environment of art and music but less with photography. I was born listening to a lot of music; from a very early age, I lived in a musical family, listening to the sounds of the viola played by my grandfather and later the sounds of the cavaquinho, an instrument my father plays until today.
I became familiar with photography through a free course; it was natural that my first project as a photographer would focus on musicians from the independent scene in São Paulo. What led me to fine art photography was my contact with portrait photography. I was looking for a path, but at a certain moment, I felt something was missing in my images, so I searched for more information; I met a photographer, Marcelo Min, a great photojournalist. During our conversation, he encouraged me to produce portraits, and from there,
I started looking at fine art photography.

Lens Magazine: Where your inspiration comes from? Is your artistic style influenced by other photographers or a specific art field?

Rogério Vieira: My inspiration comes from many places, film, books, photography books, and music; I have a big 90’s Hip Hop influence in my work.
When I started taking pictures, like many other photographers, I was greatly influenced by the most iconic photojournalist, such as the giants of Magnum. Today that has changed a little; Images of emerging photographers significantly affect me; I am fascinated by the production of contemporary images from everywhere around the globe.

Lens Magazine: Tell us about the workflow process from the step of the idea until the outcome. Which program do you use for editing? Do you see post-processing as the primary time investment in your work?

Rogério Vieira: The process is straightforward, just as in authorial work; the deadlines can be extended. I like to make images with negatives and use a 6×7 medium format camera.
In the series “Somos Todos Alvos Aqui,” for example, I photographed the characters with as little production as possible; usually, I combined time and place with the models, and they wore what they thought was most comfortable for the session, which lasted on average thirty minutes. I like working with Lightroom; when I need more advanced adjustments. I turn to my partners who work with image processing in Photoshop, but in my work, pre-production is more important.

Lens Magazine: From your personal journey in the fine art photography field, what will be your advice to the young photographer looking for a way of development?

Rogério Vieira: I have been working with photography since 2010, but my trajectory with fine art is short; I consider myself an emerging photographer and have much to learn. I received good advice from incredible photographers in addition to formal studies; listening to these professionals was very important for my training, and this happens to this day. I am also addicted to seeing photographs; I don’t think I spend a day without seeing an image, it fuels me, so I believe that young photographers at the beginning of their career should be exposed to art and photography as much as possible.

Lens Magazine: What’s the future hold? Any special exhibitions in the upcoming months?

Rogério Vieira: I’m working on producing a photobook; it’s a project made by many hands, I’m working with people who have exciting visions, and it’s been really cool.
I am very much looking forward to my participation in the XIV Florence Biennale in October, and it’s a great honor to be awarded as the finalist of this beautiful joint competition by Lens Magazine, Art Market Magazine, and Florence Biennale. I feel grateful.

See the full article in Lens Magazine Issue #105