Montreal-based photographer Geraldo Pace discovered photography at the age of fourteen, during a camping trip where his older brother, an amateur photographer himself, put a camera in his hands, gave him a few tips, and let him shoot whatever he felt of interest. Upon seeing the resulting photographs, the compositions, the contrasts, Pace knew that he had discovered his voice, and that he must follow his calling.
As time went by, he honed his skills and, his passion growing, he sets his sights on working in the photography department of a major company, purposely failing entrance exams at Loyola College in pursuit of a position at Alcan. Undeterred at not having been selected for the photography department, the seventeen-year old went to work for Alcan as a messenger, and entered the company’s National photography exhibition – and won first and second prizes the first year… after which he was transferred to the photography department, where he spent the next three years perfecting his craft.
Pace went on to work for one of the leading commercial photography studios in Montreal, where he was called upon to execute photo shoots for various ad campaigns, including such prestigious accounts as Holt Renfrew. Celebrated fashion editor Iona Monahan was so taken by his work that she referred him for a photo shoot which would be a turning point in the artist’s career: unimpressed by the proposed layout for a Leo Chevalier shoot he was executing, Pace conceived a “parallel” shoot, which he submitted after the required assignment – the strong graphics and the power emanating from the images convinced the executives to use the “parallel shoot” for the publicity campaign… and launched Pace’s career as a conceptual artist, at which point he opened his own commercial studio – all the while continuing to do portrait work on request.
Over the years, it became evident to the artist that his true interest lay in conceptual work, and concentrated his efforts in that direction. Guided by his admiration for photographer Irving Penn, Pace set out to emulate his mastery of lighting – and try to surpass it. In fact, it can be said that the genius in Pace’s work lies in his ability to “paint”’ with light.
Pace’s main challenge when realizing a concept lies in the possibility of its execution: the idea for a photograph usually comes to him in a dream… The dream is then translated into a concept, drawn, and painstakingly set up in order to be shot… bearing in mind that touch-ups are out of the question! It follows that a single shot can require hours to place, then to light: each streak of light, each transparency, each shadow cast is carefully mapped out – for breathtaking results.
Geraldo Pace’s work is highlighted in PanoramItalia, a magazine devoted to Italian culture, lifestyle and essence of being, to which he contributes not only as conceptual photographer, but also as editor.
It should also be noted that the artist’s current projects include the conception and execution of a permanent mural for Concordia University’s Faculty of Engineering, titled “Heads of Engineering”, as well as the preparation of a collaborative work with legendary wordsmith Gilles Vigneault.
