compo adadndi I Photograph

Since 1992, Flavio Samelo has walked through the streets of São Paulo, Brazil, photographing skateboarders. These images of street skate, allowed Samelo to introduce in his images, graffiti, pixação, and other urban elements which called his attention in the background of the skateboarding sessions. Samelo, as he is more commonly known, was often invited by those skaters who were also graffiti artists, and pixadores, to make images of their works on the streets as well. These elements became the trademark for his images in the skateboarding magazines of Brazil, showing much more than just skateboarding but the real life around it on the streets. Samelo attended the University of Communication in São Paulo, and subsequently worked as an Art Director, Photographer, Writer and Illustrator for both Brazilian, and international magazines. He has collaborated with magazines such as Revista da MTV, Rolling Stone Brasil, Adbsuters, Juxtapoz, Lodown and many others. After six years working with design, Samelo decided to return to his studies, and began a post grade with concentration on Art History. It was during this time that Samelo discovered the Brazilian concrete artists movement from the 50's, and their research, and studies relating to photography, shapes, and colors. The works of Geraldo de Barros, Judith Lauand and Anatol Wladislaw were among his many influences. Following his discovery of the Brazilian concrete artists movement, Samelo dedicated himself to producing work with more graphic results, in which he could simultaneously incorporate his images of urban photography. Today, the works of Samelo have two fronts: the photographic output, an image with a circulation of one print, creating an indisputable original, and his works that mix his concrete studies with the urban images. Using photography as base for the paintings allows Samelo to push the limits of his images through the use of shape, line, and color, to communicate a new graphic reality. These work were showed at many exhibitions in Brazil and USA as well as the 2009 Bienal VentoSul in Brazil.