CATEGORY: PHOTOGRAPHS
Venancio Diaz Maiques (1916 Havana - 2003 Havana, Cuba)
Gelatin silver print. Ballet Habana (Havana) • 1971
Provenance: directly from the estate of Venancio Diaz Maiques, Havana, 2010
Creator:
Venancio Diaz Maiques (1916-2003)
Object:
Photograph, gelatin silver print.
Country:
Cuba
Design period:
1971
Production period:
1971
Identifying marks:
Stamped, dated 1971 and titled "Ballet Habana"
Style:
Portraits, art
Condition:
Near fine (9). Small surface streak.
Material:
Gelatin silver print on baryta photographic paper
Colour:
Black & White
Dimensions:
Image W 15.5 x H 23.5 cm | paper W 21.5 x H 29.0 cm
Biography
Venancio Diaz was born in Guanajay on the 1st April, 1916. He co-founded the Club de Fotografía de Cuba. He began working as a reporter during the disasters that occurred during the 1940 hurricane for which he received his first prize for his photographs in Guanajay.
In 1948 he won his first international award, a special prize, in Zaragoza, Spain, for his photograph “Salen al camino dos carretas” (Two wagons come out on the road). In 1949 this same photo was awarded the title "Best Photo of Latin America". Also in 1949, during the First International Exhibition in Cuba, he was awarded for his Colonial photography. In the same year he did important artistic work in the field of nude photography for magazine Nude in New York, also receiving several awards.
1950: Cuba Photography Award - honorable Mention for his photo El regreso.
1955: semi-naked artistic photos of Italian model Zurka Falconi, published in various magazines.
4 March 1960
On the day (4 March 1960) Alberto Korda made his iconic photo of Ché Guevara, Venancio went to the harbor to shoot the aftermath of the explosion of the freighter La Coubre. This French vessel was carrying 76 tons of Belgian munitions from the port of Antwerp. The death toll was between 75 and 100 people with more than 200 people injured. In 2010, Fototeka, the photo gallery / museum in Havana, held an exhibition about this event, in which 10 of his prints were shown.
1961: Cuba Photography Award -3rd place with the photos Humo y Tambor (Smoke and Drum).
1962: Interpress (Budapest, Hungary) awarded him the Silver Cup for the photo Levan la luz as the best photograph in Latin America. 1963: 3rd place at the Concurso Internacional, sponsored by the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos (ICAP).
1967: First OLAS Conference, publishing photos of this important event.
1973: work for the German News Agency AND.
In 1983 he began publishing some books with his photos along with two other photographers, Rogelio More and Pildaing.
Venancio worked uninterruptedly for 63 years on all kinds of photographic themes. He was also co-founder of the Cuban national news agency AIN and Prensa Latina. For many years he worked for important publications in Cuba such as Bohemia.
As a hobby, he was a member of the Association of Collectors of Cigarette Rings of Cuba (AVC).
His works can be found in museums and galleries worldwide.
Venancio Diaz Maiques (1916 Havana - 2003 Havana, Cuba)
Gelatin silver print. Ballet Habana (Havana) • 1971
Provenance: directly from the estate of Venancio Diaz Maiques, Havana, 2010
Creator:
Venancio Diaz Maiques (1916-2003)
Object:
Photograph, gelatin silver print.
Country:
Cuba
Design period:
1971
Production period:
1971
Identifying marks:
Stamped, dated 1971 and titled "Ballet Habana"
Style:
Portraits, art
Condition:
Near fine (9). Small surface streak.
Material:
Gelatin silver print on baryta photographic paper
Colour:
Black & White
Dimensions:
Image W 15.5 x H 23.5 cm | paper W 21.5 x H 29.0 cm
Biography
Venancio Diaz was born in Guanajay on the 1st April, 1916. He co-founded the Club de Fotografía de Cuba. He began working as a reporter during the disasters that occurred during the 1940 hurricane for which he received his first prize for his photographs in Guanajay.
In 1948 he won his first international award, a special prize, in Zaragoza, Spain, for his photograph “Salen al camino dos carretas” (Two wagons come out on the road). In 1949 this same photo was awarded the title "Best Photo of Latin America". Also in 1949, during the First International Exhibition in Cuba, he was awarded for his Colonial photography. In the same year he did important artistic work in the field of nude photography for magazine Nude in New York, also receiving several awards.
1950: Cuba Photography Award - honorable Mention for his photo El regreso.
1955: semi-naked artistic photos of Italian model Zurka Falconi, published in various magazines.
4 March 1960
On the day (4 March 1960) Alberto Korda made his iconic photo of Ché Guevara, Venancio went to the harbor to shoot the aftermath of the explosion of the freighter La Coubre. This French vessel was carrying 76 tons of Belgian munitions from the port of Antwerp. The death toll was between 75 and 100 people with more than 200 people injured. In 2010, Fototeka, the photo gallery / museum in Havana, held an exhibition about this event, in which 10 of his prints were shown.
1961: Cuba Photography Award -3rd place with the photos Humo y Tambor (Smoke and Drum).
1962: Interpress (Budapest, Hungary) awarded him the Silver Cup for the photo Levan la luz as the best photograph in Latin America. 1963: 3rd place at the Concurso Internacional, sponsored by the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos (ICAP).
1967: First OLAS Conference, publishing photos of this important event.
1973: work for the German News Agency AND.
In 1983 he began publishing some books with his photos along with two other photographers, Rogelio More and Pildaing.
Venancio worked uninterruptedly for 63 years on all kinds of photographic themes. He was also co-founder of the Cuban national news agency AIN and Prensa Latina. For many years he worked for important publications in Cuba such as Bohemia.
As a hobby, he was a member of the Association of Collectors of Cigarette Rings of Cuba (AVC).
His works can be found in museums and galleries worldwide.
