MATT LICARI : NY PHOTOGRAPHER

MATT LICARI

NEW YORK CITY BORN-AND-RAISED PHOTOGRAPHER

By Adam Kluger

M

att Licari is a New York City born-and-raised photographer who has been making photographs since 2003.

Licari’s early pictures depicted close friends, family and street scenes in his native neighborhood of The Bronx. This combination of intimate portraiture and peripheral environs remains a cornerstone of his work today.

Before entering the commercial and fashion industries, Licari received his BFA in Photography from SUNY Purchase worked in the image archives of the Richard Avedon Foundation and the Guggenheim Museum, as a photo-lab technician, and as a retoucher. intimate, raw on-location pictures, often trading between the specialized technique of large-format film and handheld digital cameras. This workflow allows him to seamlessly toggle between styles and deliver a variety of powerful work to commercial brands and editorial magazines alike. His lively personality and enthusiasm for the arts has enabled him to make compelling images of highprofile celebrities like Tom Hanks, Pete Townshend, R.E.M, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Kathy Griffin and many more.

Licari lives in New York and regularly guest lectures at a circuit of NYC and East Coast universities and mentors photography students. He also skateboards and plays keys in a rock band in his spare time.

Since 2011 Licari has employed a dualist approach to imagery, creating both clean and crisp studio photographs alongside Matt Licari is represented by Rosana Gonzalo worldwide.

1Tell us the back story to this gorgeous photo This image was made on a sweltering hot day in late summer in Southhampton, NY. We were playing off the swimsuits and the idea of leisure, luxury and simplicity - not over styled, not over lit (from a lighting standpoint), not over posed (we had models trade between poolside reclining and entering / exiting the pool until the actions became natural).

2How did you get into photography? I was and am a dedicated skateboarder, which was how I originally became interested in image making. Very quickly I found there was more to shooting photographs than action pictures, and people became my subject (and remains so, 20 years later). 3 Any favorite models or celebrities? Shooting Tom (Hanks) and Sean (Lennon) were both rewarding, they were collaborative, communicative and receptive to trying things. We shot film on both shoots which was bold for them (because they can't see the results, so it requires a certain level of both confidence in oneself and trust in the photographer). Elvis (Costello) was also wonderful and playful. I enjoy most people I work with, actually. 4 Inspirations? More than anything, my contemporaries, and those who create work without being noticed for it. In addition and separately from that category, I also regularly return to images by Jed Devine, Marshall

Scheuttle, Joel Sternfeld, Sally Mann, Judith Joy

Ross, Diane Arbus, Roger Fenton, etc. Perhaps more than imagery, music inspires me. Hard to describe how, but it is my main form of inspiration / art-intake. 5 Future plans? In terms of photography, I am releasing a printed (and possibly digital NFT) coffee table book of a series I've been making on film for close to 4 years. This will release in mid to late 2023 and a portion of revenue will go directly toward non profit mental health resources. (Stay tuned / follow my socials for this). My old band also just reformed so catch me onstage making a fool of myself in the tristate area!

Photography by Matt Licari