NO TITLEL - Hugo Cifuentes
One of the most famous photographers from Ecuador is Hugo Cifuentes. He is considered as the most important pioneer in contemporary photography in that country. In the 1960s he was the co-founder of VAN, a group of progressive artists who in their autonomous work broke with the prevailing art tradition. After studying painting and draughtsmanship, in the 1940s Cifuentes began to photograph. In 1949 he received his first prize for photographic composition. Many further distinctions followed this, including the Casa de las Américas Award in 1983. Gradually Hugo Cifuentes developed his own visual vocabulary, with humorous undertones. It was his manner of responding to the internal conflicts and other miseries that gripped Ecuador for many years. By seeing things from a different angle, Cifuentes added new layers to the often hard reality.
