Mario Cravo Neto

Mario Cravo Neto was a photographer best known for his black-and-white works representing Afro-Brazilian subjects in a religious and mystical context. Cravo Neto was the son of well-known Brazilian sculptor Mario Cravo Jr. In 1964, his father relocated the family to Germany to participate in an artist-in-residence program sponsored by the Ford Foundation and the Senate of West Berlin. It was during this period that Cravo Neto discovered his interest in sculpture and photography. In 1965, he returned to Brazil where he won an award at the first Art Biennial of Bahia, and celebrated his first solo exhibition. Three years later he moved to New York City to study at the Art Students League, under the guidance of New York conceptual artist Jack Krueger. While in New York, Cravo Neto produced a series of color photographs titled On the Subway, which were published in Camera 35 magazine. He also manufactured his first acrylic sculptural work by simulating the traditional terrarium. Cravo Neto returned to Brazil in 1970, where he was involved in various exhibitions, most importantly the Biennial of Sao Paulo. However, in 1975, a debilitating car accident forced him to be bedridden for an entire year. During his rehabilitation, Cravo Neto experimented with photography and installations in a controlled environment. He emerged from his period of confinement with a distinctly spiritual and imaginative photographic style. In 1979, Cravo Neto exhibited with photographer Pierre Verger (French, 1902–1996) at the Museu de Arte in São Paulo, and subsequently curated his last photography exhibition before his death. Between 1999 and 2004, Cravo Neto’s work became heavily influenced by Afro-Brazilian culture and issues, as is evident in the important work Man with Fish (1992). In 1996, he received the National Prize for Photography Funarte, and in 2004 received the Mario Pedrosa Award from the Brazilian Association of Art Critics. He died in 2009 in Salvador.