Image courtesy of Gallerie Van Der Mieden, Antwerp
In my opinion, Caio Reisewitz’s second artwork - Pirituba - shows a lot more of his internal feeling and it is about fluctuating between forest dream and city life. It is well possible that Pirituba is the second episode following the first art piece, Tabatioca. No one would ever be able to tell how the dream takes places, what pieces of imagination would come true. Resembling fragmented collages together seems to be a challenge when broken pieces are here and near. How would he revive the sound of leaves, the drifting water, the calling of tropical forest?
The overall greyish tone and a background of a dark forest displays dim air. From far sight, this may have been a close-up shot of a forest. A nearer look reveals countless meanings between layers. Clothes from urban slumps hang up from the top area creates a barrier for visual effect. Visibility is blocked and shattered. The flow of emotion is disjointed. The photograph portraits unraveling harmony between modern architecture of urban buildings and the vast background of a tropical forest. A complex structure strives for a solution. The ruined memory of the past, the frustration of reality smashes on the mirror that probably displays a life that even Caio Reisewitz himself finds no explanation. In depths of images hide a nostalgic feeling and a voice that urges conciliation between two extremes: the chaos and the harmony, the green forest and the urban life. Although they visually clash, their mutual expressions must be put together. The artist has made a leap of innovative experiment, a different way of self-expression in photo collage where meaning often reveals in contrasting. Instead of smoothening metamorphoses into one piece, Caio Reisewitz accepts dilemmas and infuses a strong force of human imagination. He is willing to break down traditional concepts and inject breathing and soul to new life that was once torn apart.
The audience is under spell for a quest of an ending. We are given tremendous space and an ultimate visual tool to create conclusion. The artist has existed the scene, leaving us craving for what truly lies beneath of all. If you still feel unsettled, do not miss the opportunity in the month of October to discover your own answer by viewing his artwork in person during the current solo exhibition in Paris at Maison Européenne de la Photographie (link http://www.mep-fr.org/evenement/caio-reisewitz). (*2)
You may well spot out new things that I haven’t seen.
Reference:
1: Nanda van den Berg, Amsterdam: Huis Marseille Museum Voor Fotografie, 2015.
2: Caio Reisewitz and Carla Zocchio (eds.), Caio Reisewitz. Disorder, (Paris: Maison Européenne de la Photographie / Amsterdam: Huis Marseille Museum Voor Fotografie), 2015.