Island Life: Photographs from the Martin Parr Foundation
Sergio Larrain
Born 1931, died 2012 Chile
‘A good image is born from a state of grace.’
Larrain took photos while studying music, and then forestry, travelling through Europe and the Middle East in the 1950s. After photographing in London he settled in Paris 1959-61 , returning to Chile in 1961 on a project on Valparaiso with text by the poet Pablo Neruda. He photographed street children – los abandonados. Larrain’s style is characterised by low and unusual camera angles. From 1972 he retreated to obscurity, focusing on Eastern mysticism, meditation and yoga. He discouraged displays of his work and was reportedly disappointed that the Valencia Institute of Modern Art held a retrospective in 1999.
