Statement

I was a painter in Rome and my artistic passions evolved into photography when I moved to New York in the early 80s.

I liked photography because I had a need to be less isolated and achieve the results of my work much faster.

I love to be in the darkroom because of the adventure of the becoming and the slow process of the image as it appears on the paper. The control of the image in the darkroom affords me the possibilities of adjusting the reality to my imagination.

For over 25 years I have worked as a portrait photographer, working primarily in B & W. I photographed cities as I would a human face, looking at details – looking at shadows, always going for sensation.

My work is now evolving into color images. I am transforming the B & W shadows in my mind into details of color. They then become fragments of reality that I didn’t see before. I am attracted more and more by the minute perfections or imperfections inherent within a flower or a leaf. I am drawn by the miracle of the invisible that becomes visible to the attentive eye.

Biography

Emanuela Gardner was born in Verona Italy in 1952 and was raised in Rome. She studied philosophy at the University of Rome and continued to develop her skills as a painter and photographer, passions of hers since childhood. Mrs. Gardner arrived in New York in 1981 after having spent 2 years in London and 2 years in India. In NY she joined the Art Student League to continue to develop as a painter. During this period she received an assignment from Italian Vogue to photograph Jeff Koons. This was the beginning of her career as portrait photographer which over the past 20 years has included Raul Julia, Carl Bernstein, Leo Castelli and Walter Cronkite to name a few. Aside from her portrait work, Mrs. Gardner has an extensive body of work as a landscape photographer. She has exhibited her landscapes in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Rome and Paris.

Resume

Publications

New York Times — Vogue — Marie Claire — Details Magazine — Village Voice — Amica — Corriere della Sera — Panorama — L’Espresso — Art Forum — Contemporanea — Elle — Dedicate — Grazia — La Repubblica

Selected Portraits

Raoul Julia – Terence Stamp — Ben Gazzara – Dominique Sanda – Marco Risi – Domiziana Giordano – Leo Castelli – Jeff Koons – George Condo – Hiroshi Teshigahara – Toni Shafrazi – Achille Bonito Oliva – Carl Lewis – Joseph Kosouth – Susan Minot – Carl Bernstein – Cynthia Ozich – Walter Cronkite – Marco Tullio Giordana – Nicola L.— Mary Gatskill — Pat Hear — Paul Auster — Sergio Zavoli

Exhibitions

2015 – Galleria O, S.Jose’ del Cabo, Mexico.
2014 – New York University – Casa Zerilli-Marimo’, New York City
2013 – El Lunario Gallery, S. Jose del Cabo, Mexico
2012 – Galleria del Cortile, Rome, Italy
2011 – Ambassade d’Italie, Paris, France
2010 – 2011 – Galleria Catalina, Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico
2008 – Merge Gallery, New York City
2008 – Galleria A. Pallesi, Roma Italy
2008 – Untitled 2144 Gallery , Miami. USA
2007 – Merge Gallery, New York City
2007 – New York University – Casa Italiana, New York City
2007 – Monserrato Arte, Rome, Italy
2006 – Monserrato Arte, Rome, Italy
2005 – Monserrato Arte, Rome, Italy
2004 – Monserrato Arte, Rome, Italy
2003 – Briggs Robinson Gallery, New York City
2003 – Headquarters, Los Angeles, California
2002 – Premio Chatwin, La Spezia, Italy
2001 – Egizio’s Project Gallery, New York City
2000 – Egizio’s Project Gallery, New York City
1997 – Rizzoli, New York City
1995 – Rempire Gallery, New York, City
1993 – La Galerie, St. Barth, FWI

Book Covers

Paul Auster — Gary Trudeau — Jorge Castillo — Hunt Slonem

Catalogues

1996 – 2000 – Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California

Cinematography

2000 – “Quien es?” – Director, Nicola – Havana, Cuba

Still Photography for Movie Industry

2006 – Frame of Mind – Director, Carl Evans – New York City
2001 – Tre Mogli – Director, Marco Risi – Rome, Italy – Buenos Aires, Argentina
2000 – Come On – Director, Pascal Aubier – New York City