Luis Delgado aka Lisdebertus

Luis Delgado aka Lisdebertus, Empire, from the series Unfathomable Humanity, 2005

"What is said is done, what is lost is doomed, what is forgotten is dammed."

Luis Delgado Qualtrough became a photographer in Mexico where he grew up. He began his work documenting folk mores and customs as well as pre-Columbian artifacts. Today he is particularly interested in exploring different aspects of visual narrative with emphasis in iconography and gesture. He creates photography-based prints, books, and installations with history and societal systems as the theme, specifically the concept of the hero and the anti-hero. He uses a visual language of icons and gestures assembled into compound images to create narratives that address this issue. This language consists of photographs of iconography and inanimate representations from many historical and mundane settings throughout the world, as well as imagery taken from mass media outlets. Delgado's goal is to achieve a uniquely personal social commentary and analysis using the language of iconography as its voice.

Delgado has recently received the Peter S Reed Foundation Award and has been named a "Discovery" in Houston's FotoFest as well as the Communications Arts Award of Excellence,. His work has been exhibited and published widely in Latin America, Europe and the USA and is held in museums and private collections including:

• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
• Houston Museum of Fine Arts
• Stanford University
• Lehigh University
• Harry Ranson Humanities Research Center
• Bibilotheque National, France
• Union of Culture, Germany