Andres Serrano Biography
Serrano Andres (New York, 1950) Andres Serrano is an American photographer. A rebellious and polemical artist, his photographs appear perfect and glossy, but also terrifying and transgressive, expressing a criticism against society and illustrating the most controversial disturbances and themes of our world: religion, fanaticism, illness, death and corporeity. Although the artist tries to capture the problems that concern human beings, he is at the same time also in continuous search for beauty, a constant presence in his images. Serrano spent his childhood in Brooklyn and the presence of staunchly Catholic Italian-American neighbors led him to deal with the theme of religion in many of his shots. From 1967 to 1969 he attended the Brooklyn Museum of Art School and at the age of 28 he decided to dedicate himself totally to an artistic career, first experimenting with painting and sculpture, and then concentrating solely on photography. He created his first images inspired by Surrealism and Dadaism and presenting blood (symbol of violence and passion) as a constant element. In his works there are references to great masters of painting, such as Rembrandt and Mondrian and cultural interpretations of the memento mori. From 1985 to 1990 he produced even more provocative series, such as “Body fluids” and “Immersions”, using urine, milk and other elements.