The Urbe series exposes the city as a metaphor. The indistinctness of buildings, the absence of people, the unreality of colors and the imprecision of shapes allude to the idea of mirage, of deception. The images were taken in several cities, on misty days or using simple features on the camera itself: low speed, defocusing, camera movements, noise or application of physical elements over the lens. In post-production, the tones were split. Urbe adresses dystopia, the urban landscape as a shelter for dreams and desires that fade in the passage of time.
José Roberto Bassul was born in Rio and lives in Brasilia. His photography turns to architecture and urban environment as an attempt "to draw thoughts, project desires and built spaces for the imagination". He has received several awards and his works has often been exhibited in festivals, galleries and museums in solo and group shows in Brazil and abroad. He has published two photobooks. His works are held in important private and public collections such as those of National Museum of Republic (Brasilia), Art Museum of Rio, Museum of Modern Art (Rio) and Museum of Photography (Fortaleza).
