Juan Mathe

Juan Mathe was born in Buenos Aires, where he currently lives and works, on March 14, 1966.  He is the Director of Photography for ArgentinaFoto.



Juan Mathe discovered photography during his adolescence, at which time he dedicated himself to the art of creating images.  Though originally self-taught, he completed formal studies at the University of Maryland (U.S.) and at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes (France).



With the passage of time, his growing passion for photography led him to investigate the materials, formats, and techniques involved in large scale works.  His works were been exhibited in numerous galleries across the United States, which eventually led him to the Opera.  The Bayerische Staats Oper Haus in Munich, Germany commissioned him to create three stage sceneries together with the designer Paco Rabanne.  Soon afterward, Tarazona Foto International asked him to create a photographic and musical installation titled ?El Respirador,? (The Respirator) which was exhibited along with works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman and John Copplans, amongst others.  Upon his return to Argentina after having spent an extensive time in Europe, he began working exclusively as a photographer for the fashion magazine, Elle.  He spent the next four years creating portraits of models and celebrities.  His work has been published in Italy, Japan, and the United States.  His editorial features have cemented his reputation in fashion and advertising.  He has produced numerous publicity campaigns for brands such as Brahma, Cegetel, CTI, Nike, Toyota, FTV, the Pirelli calendar,  Phillips and Sony.  Many of those campaigns received prizes in local and international festivals.  The worldwide network Saatchi & Saatchi selected his work, ?Pampers downloading? as photograph of the year in 2003.  In 2004, he received an award from the Antorchas foundation for his video installation ?Protect the Llama,? and in 2005 he received the Chandon prize for his video sculpture ?Proyecto para un cachetazo perpetuo.? (Proyect for a Perpetual Slap)