Sandra Adorno

The latest body of work from American photographer Sandra Cattaneo Adorno (born 1954) offers a meditation on perception: how we experience time, memory, connection and the boundaries between reality and illusion. “Reflection, refractions and distortions abound, transforming the external world into a metaphor of the mind,” Cattaneo Adorno explains. Inspired by the memory of brightly colored, overlapping metal plates on a printing press, known as scarti (scraps), Cattaneo Adorno revisited her archives and began layering images during the pandemic. Scarti di Tempo can mean either “time discrepancy” or “lag time,” serving as a metaphor for how time—like waves of light or sound—can expand or contract. In much the same way, these photographs occasionally dissolve into abstraction while remaining tethered to reality. The book also contains a QR code that links to a score composed by the artist's husband, which provides an opportunity to experience the harmony of image and sound.

Printed in gold metallic four-color, Águas de Ouro celebrates the golden light of Rio de Janeiro through images that combine moments of street photography with abstract, lyrical compositions. It is the second book from photographer Sandra Cattaneo Adorno, who started photographing six years ago, at the age of 60.

After The Other Half of the Sky, which portrayed women in the streets of several countries, she dedicates this latest monograph to the beauty of Brazilian streets, beaches and people. The chiaroscuro of her photographs emphasizes the shapes of bodies and creates a dreamlike atmosphere through the strong contrasts between golden light and shadows. These beguiling images not only capture people and moments with visual maturity and acuity, but also evoke something quintessential about the city, something a little darker: the bittersweet yearning that Brazilians call saudade, which hints at other levels of reality.

Sandra Cattaneo Adorno: The Other Half of the Sky presents a selection of images of women the photographer has shot on the streets of different countries. By capturing their fleeting profiles with acuity, Adorno creates an aura of mystery that prompts the viewer to wonder about the lives and the experiences of these unknown women. Adorno’s use of an aesthetic reminiscent of fashion photography and advertising highlights the beauty of everyday women on the streets, even as it questions the image of women in our society and the role that ideals of glamour and the erotic have in shaping it.

An imaginative book design by David Chickey allows the viewer to pair two sets of photographs. While the pages of each set are parallel and meant to be looked at in sequence, the book can also be viewed in any order or combination.