By Margaret Failoni
Cylla von Tiedemann is one of the most sought after performance photographers, especially renowned for her ability to capture points of movement.
In the early 80s the young art photographer arrived in Canada from Germany. She quickly realized that it was the arts that attracted and engaged her, especially the performing arts, dance, theater, and music. She is renowned worldwide for her dance portraiture, live theater photography, and remains a highly respected visual designer for the stage.
In the mid-1980s, at the time of this photo shoot, Toller Cranston was already a Canadian icon. His innovative theatrical style transformed men’s figure skating into a performance art form that revolutionized the sport and remains highly relevant to this day.
Photographer von Tiedemann, in the early days of a long and successful career, was already an admirer of Cranston so she agreed to join him in his studio for a photo shoot that became an incredible performance. The spirit and beauty Cranston expressed with his body portrayed a movement of “metamorphosis.”
“Toller was an incredible performer and I could not stop shooting him. He’s truly a dancer. His spirit and his beauty are in his body. It’s in every muscle. He has such an understanding of presenting, of bringing that out and performing. He gave me a lot to work with.”
Having been chosen for this exceptional exhibition, the Galería Intersección, with anticipated fervor, welcomes the work of two such extraordinary talents, the photographer and her muse.
Leonardo Diaz: …Recollections
Originally from Queretaro, Leonardo Diaz lives and works in San Miguel de Allende and has been an important part of this town’s art scene for well over a decade.
When first discovering his work, I was drawn to his rich, expressionist, free, brush strokes in presenting exciting and fanciful figures painted in fauvist/pop colors. His paintings appeared to jump out from the picture plane, transporting the viewer into an unusual reality, serving as portals into the realm of conscious and unconscious worlds. While figurative in nature, the work is dramatic; it transcends the mundane and aims to explore complexities of the human psyche. The artist attempts to recreate moments of high drama which he encounters in urban landscapes; they appear to be fleeting moments much like cinematic tapestries which seemingly follow the same logic of spiritual sensitivity and magic realism that so infuses his work. Has he dreamed it or are they faint recollections of brief moments past?
Drawn and digitally manipulated studies accompany each painting further giving the viewer hints of the artist’s mindset.
Cocktail Opening
Cylla von Tiedemann and Leonardo Diaz
Sat., Feb. 4, 5-8pm
Galería Intersección
Fabrica La Aurora
