CULTURA INQUIETA | interview
Photographer Emilia Brandão Carneiro Captures the Intimacy and Dreamy Romanticism of the Seine River
By Luiki Alonso
July 18, 2022
Mental flashes and sentimental slides succeed each other, blurred by the softness of their strokes, which, faded at the edges of their shapes, evoke the daydreaming that represents an intimate romanticism not tinged with pink but with grays.
When we think of romance in all its meanings, forms, and manifestations, many of us conjure up the common scene of some of the most famous corners of Paris, the capital of love.
In Sentimental Journey, a series by Brazilian photographer Emilia Brandão Carneiro (1982), the artist showcases her delicate sensitivity and celebrates the romantic by working toward the evolution and transformation of the art world to imprint a feminine essence free from complexes, prejudices, and preconceived ideas.
Black-and-white photographs depict swans on the Seine. While it may sound somewhat cliché, what makes Brandão’s work fascinating is that the captures show something different from what we would expect.
For example, a swan that twists, with an ugly, somewhat troubled appearance, challenges the conventional image we associate with these graceful birds. We also notice, of course, the “Brandão signature” in the usual tenderness and generosity of her gaze (which may have caught the attention of the curators at PhotoVogue, who awarded four images from the series).
Emilia Brandão Carneiro’s art can be described as “shamelessly romantic.”
In Brandão’s work, we can see sunlight poetically filtered through the silhouettes of trees, blurry faces in a pensive mood, flowers, clouds, nudes, etc.
Some images are so beautiful and magical that they make us blush because we sometimes forget how radical it is to be romantic in the times we live in. Brandão’s art exists to challenge preconceived notions. It is deeply committed and human. It is, in fact, quite intelligent.
In this exhibition, the Brazilian who adopted Madrid as her home conveys a sense of familiarity. In a world obsessed with novelty, Brandão presents images that find their value in representing what we already know.
The F&deO Gallery in Madrid, the first exhibition space focused on researching female-centered art, opened the doors to **Sentimental Journey** on June 16, an individual exhibition of the acclaimed and dreamy photographer.