Armando Salas Portugal

Armando Salas Portugal was born in Monterrey, Mexico in 1916, but at a very early age he moved with his family to Mexico City.

 

He studied Chemistry at UCLA California, and he had his first encounter with photography when he was 18 during a trip to Mexico with his family. Since then until his death, in 1995, he showed a great sense of contemplation, always linked to his lense.

 

From a technical standpoint, his work was enriched by the knowledge he had of chemistry from his college years, while his vocation as a traveler and his interest in alpinism were a perfect comibnation to capture the most exquisite images.

 

Salas Portugal was captivated by the Mexican landscape all his life. He was an active mountaneer, constantly climbing the volcanoes and mountains in Mexico, and walking its valleys, deserts, forests, and remote towns. His camera was always with him, he captured with his lense the scenes that captivated his mind.

 

In 1994 he had his first solo exhibition at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, in Mexico City. This exhibition defines his path, and from then on he is dedicated exclusively to photography. Besided his longlife interest in landscape, he starts being atracted to architecture and the city. He collaborates with architect Luis Barragan, interpreting and capturing his work.

 

He had an outstandign carreer, with more than 60 years of work. He has shown in important museums worldwide, such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art, Smithsonian Institute, among others.  He died in Mexico City, in 1996, when he was 79 years old.