Introduction

Thanks to his predilection for instant photography, Maurizio Galimberti has become known simply as “The Polaroid Photographer” all around the world. This nickname does a disservice to his art, however, because his work is much more than instant photographs made into collages. Galimberti creates a delicate balancing act between reality and imagination, sometimes even drawing directly on the pictures to augment it. He shows us the world not only as it is, but also as it could, or should, be.

From day one of Galimberti’s career, the Polaroid camera has been his companion. He has made the format, the technique, and the uniqueness of an instant photo entirely his own. Polaroids cannot be edited in Photoshop or darkrooms. And still, Galimberti conceives complex photo mosaics at times involving intricate, hand-drawn elements that form an entirely singular interpretation of his surroundings.

While Galimberti started with individual photographs, he soon began to put together photo mosaics of people, and then of buildings and architectural structures of note in Italy and Europe. Looking at his pieces, we constantly seek to reconcile what we see with the sites we are familiar with. In this way, Galimberti skillfully mesmerizes us with his fascinating mosaics.

Curriculum vitæ

Maurizio Galimberti was born in Como, Italy in 1956. In 1980, he first set foot in the world of Polaroid photography. He says his biggest inspiration comes from Futurism, an Italian avant-garde art movement. Galimberti’s works are celebrated for their unique focus, rhythm, and movement. At the beginning of the 1990s, he began creating his famous mosaics. He reinvented this technique and adapted it for portraits of celebrities from art, fashion, theater and film. In 2003, his portrait of Johnny Depp graced the cover of the British Times Magazine.