EDMONTON, AB | Pianzola's formal training in all aspects of film photography took place during the years as an assistant in the studio of Roberto Azank, who eventually abandoned photography and moved to the United States to become a successful painter.
Besides photography, Pianzola's passion has always been mathematics. He came to Canada with a fellowship to do his PhD studies under the supervision of Robert Moody, one of this country's most distinguished mathematicians. Pianzola's distinguished scientific career allowed him to travel the world, always exploring with a keen eye the different cultures and customs in front of him. The theme of visualizing human presence is a thread that weaves through his photographic work.
As a photographer, Pianzola always maintained a low profile. The reason for this is not just because of his commitment to mathematics, but also because of his firm belief that a photograph, digital or analogue, is a print. He sees no lasting value in presenting work exclusively through social media. His commissioned printed work can be found in France, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan, China, USA, Argentina (his country of birth) and Canada.
Pianzola's work has been published double-page in LFI (Leica Fotografie International). In Buenos Aires, his commissioned documentary project about a day in the life of PROHODIS (a facility for people with mental disabilities) hangs along the walls of the building. The hard-cover book “Mathematics Photography: The mathematician who wanted to see” is scheduled to appear in 2024. It offers a view, with the human element as a theme, of some of Pianzola’s work over the last five years. The book, and a display of sixteen accompanying silver gelatin prints and two large digital images will be exhibited by Peabody in Buenos Aires.
Pianzola’s work has also been displayed at local juried exhibitions, including a show at the Nina Haggerty Gallery, Edmonton (2019, two pieces); “Shadows and Reflections”, ASA, Calgary Public Library (2020); and “The Artists Lens”, ASA Gallery (2021, two pieces). Six of his silver gelatin prints are part of this year’s InFocus tenth anniversary exhibitions, and one of them will be part of the coffee-table book that will be published to celebrate the occasion.
In 2018 Pianzola became a member of “The Monochrome Guild”, a collective of Canadian photographers based in Edmonton who work exclusively with black and white film or alternative analogue processes as a medium. He has participated in all the group exhibitions since then. Together with four fellow guild members, his work was part of the “Coal in Alberta” project that showed at the Crowsnest Pass Gallery (2021), the Leighton Art Centre (2022) and Red Deer Arts Council Kiwanis Gallery (TBA). His work is presently on display at four business establishments in Edmonton.
