ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born
in the South of Italy (Puglia), Antimo Cimino lived in Firenze until
he moved to Portland Oregon in 1996. He holds
a BA in International
Studies from Portland State University and an MA
degree in Intercultural Relations from University of Pacific. Antimo’s
work reflects a unique combination of interests, skills, perspectives,
experiences,
and
talents all of which shape Antimo’s elegant creations of images
in traditional print media.
Photographically, Antimo specializes in architecture, the nude and theatrical juxtaposition of body and architectural motifs. “Architecture often speaks for itself, the sky and the clouds simply give the picture a mood. The composition is a reflection of how through my mind and my eyes I see the world. I am often searching for poetry where we least expect it.”
The human forms are limited by our own cultural values and negative perception of the nude, but when combined with classical stone forms these elements give birth to a safe and non confrontational work of art concealing clues about its creator and the people of a particular culture.
“As an artist and an interculturalist, I seek and encourage people to understand culture by seeing beyond the surface of things. My photographs allow the viewer to practice seeing beyond the surface starting at the difference between observing (seeing only the surface of an image) and seeing (understanding the depth of an image). Eventually, I hope that my images can initiate a dialogue in diverse communities and close gaps between groups of people.
My art should be perceived within a wider political and social framework, not in a narrowly sectarian one. One needs to come to the realization that art does not exist simply to satisfy our aesthetic needs, but to address our sensibility and serve as a mechanism that allows us to define social relationships, and strengthen social values."
Antimo’s work and talents are as diverse as his life. He
lived in France, England, and now the USA. As an Italian and
a former dancer,
he has a strong
sense of aesthetics, design, emotional appeal and creates work only if
he is passionately connected with the subject matter. His work
displays
exceptional
printing skills, treatment, and technique.
Antimo’s work has been featured at Littman Gallery in Portland, Gallery Bershad in Boston, Radiant Light Gallery in Portland Maine, Beppu Gallery in Pacific City, OR, Gallery DeForest in Ashland, OR, Galleria Artemisia in Provincetown, MA, Starbucks in San Francisco, the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, and at the Oregon State Capital.
In 1999 and in 2000 his photographs were published in Perceptions, Magazine of the Arts. In 2002 Antimo was recognized in the French magazine PHOTO after making several cuts in a fifteen- thousand photographers’ annual contest. Most recently, Antimo was published in the book Self-Exposure by Reed Massengill.
CONTACT
ANTIMO: