Mario Tarantino expresses himself and his aesthetic mainly through monochromatic photography. His masterful use of minimalist compositions coupled with striking contrasts have come to define his work, earning himself numerous awards from internationally renowned institutions. His artwork has been featured in numerous publications such as Digital Photography Magazine, ND Magazine & others. Making use of camera filters, long exposures and working mostly in low light conditions, his low key imagery echoes futuristic narratives, radiating with the surreal and transporting the viewer to another reality.
Notes
Due to changes in temperature and humidity it is common for prints to have waves when unrolling for the first time. We advise your framer to dry-mount the work on an acid-free board using archival tissue and materials. This will ensure that the print will remain flat once it is framed.
Storage
The print should not be stored in the a tube for long periods of time. Handling works without proper care can increase the likelihood of fingerprints and kinks.
Framing
The print being fragile and should be taken directly to a framer where it can be professionally unrolled.
Still by Mario Tarantino
With entries from 60 countries, the 2024 World Photo Annual constituted our most diverse and expansive group of entrants yet and is a celebration of creativity, craft, and visual storytelling. Each winner embodies the distinctive spirit of photography, allowing viewers to revel in their mastery of the medium.
With that in mind, it is no small achievement that Mario Tarantino rose to the top of this extraordinarily talented group with his entry.
The tapestry of perspectives honored at this year's contester offers vulnerability, empathy, and raw emotion while being triumphant, exciting, and nothing short of awe inspiring. We are honored to have had the privilege of your work in this contest.
This year's esteemed panel of Budges included those from ACN Gews, Ietty Rmages, Phaidon Press, Rizzoli, and more.
Exploring the World through his Lens - Mario Tarantino Interview
Read Interview Here
The reFocus Awards has announced the winners of its 2024 Black & White Photo Contest.
Among the exceptional entrants from 49 countries, Mario Tarantino is among the top honorees at the 2024 Black & White Photo Contest.
From surreal portraits of the female body that challenge the typical nude form to conceptual, crisp, and sumptuous renderings of flowers that beg a second or third look, these images defy expectations. The honorees at this year's contest are exceptional examples of photography's power, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to share these images with the world.
The reFocus Awards winners were chosen by an incredible panel of
judges, including Hary Dershorn, Deputy Director of Photography at ABC News.
Aaron St. Clair, Director of Editorial Content at Shutterstock, Casey Danrahan, Director of Hilman Contemporary, Daniel Melamud, Editor at Rizzoli and many more.
Please join us in congratulating Mario Tarantino for receiving the following honors at the 2024 Black & White Photo Contest:
Bronze Landscapes "Detached:
People’s Vote Award Minimalism "Detached"
A little more than two months of research and planning went into the creation of the Future Past series. The trip to the location could be referred to as an odyssey with 20 hours of flight time not taking into account the long airport transit times, which when added would bring the trip to approximately a day and a half of travel each way. That said it was more than worth it when light and lens align to create editions such as these.
This limited edition, black and white fine art print series is set against the brutalist and imposing backdrop of the Taal Monument situated in Southern Africa. Each one of the monochromatic images making up the collection posses a otherwordly ambience transporting the viewer to a different time and place.
The entire collection is an expression of the minimalism, with its use of clean lines, negative space and silhouettes demonstrating scale as well as bringing a human element to the ethereal architecural scapes.
This photo series went on to win the Refocus World Annual Photography Awards in the Minimalism Category as well as the Monochrome Photo Awards in the Architectural Category, as well as numerous other accolades and publications.
A lot of time spent in aeroplanes, a couple of lengthy airport transits, some long road trips, quite a bit of walking whilst carrying a couple of kilos in camera gear and a time period of three years culminated in the creation of the Scale of Space photo series.
This monochrome collection of photographs was taken over three different continents, namely the Iberian Peninsular, Italy and Southern Africa. A lot of time was spent pre-planning the production of each photo and even more was spent on crafting the images in post production.
From the maximalist, highly ornamented Baroque to the more linear forms of contemporary architecture, this collection of black and white photographs showcases a variety of architectural styles. One of the collection's recurring themes is the use of silhouettes, which not only serve to convey a sense of scale but as well as the relationship between peopole and the structures they build.
This photo series has gone on to win numerous international photography awards and publications in both photography magazines and art reviews.
1. Paper
The paper, the paper, paper, each edition is printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag, a premium archival paper made in Germany. The artworks are giclée printed, using pigment inks with a master printer resulting in long lasting, museum quality prints.
2. Authenticity
All artworks form part of a limited edition either of ten or twenty. Once these artworks have been sold they cannot be reprinted. The artwork therefore maintains its market value and has the possibility to increase due to its rarity.
3. The Difference
A usual photographic print normally refers to chromogenic silver halide prints also known as C-Prints. These tend to have a glossy finish in comparison to fine art prints. The aesthetic qualities of a glossy finish with its reflective surface may not enhance the viewing experience of the print. The use of chromogenic materials along with the printing process results in darker shades and a saturated finish. Photographic prints are usually made use of when printing in bulk where a top-quality finish is not the primary concern.
