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The Silent Cities of Perú
The Silent Cities of Perú
2012

In 1971, Fernando La Rosa (born Perú 1943) began making photographs of the ancient sites of Perú. For over a period of 35 years, he continued this interest in Perú and Mexico. This exhibition catalogue focuses on 15 sites in Perú including Cerro Sechin, Chavin de Huantar and Machu Picchu. Over the years he was been granted unusual access to the sites, allowing him to record events such as sunlight penetrating temple rooms at dawn, aspects of great importance to the original builders. A Perúvian native, La Rosa moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1972, to study under the tutelage of renowned photographer, Minor White. On his return to Lima, Fernando established the first gallery in Latin America dedicated to photography, curated exhibitions of internationally recognized photographers and published a series of texts on criticisms of photography. In 1975, Fernando organized the first solo exhibition in Lima of the works of the Perúvian photographer Martin Chambi, whose early 20th century photographs of Machu Picchu inspired La Rosa’s interest in archaeological sites. These inherently picturesque places are in La Rosa’s studies shaped by his training and interest in abstract, formal photography.