Aristeo Jiménez
Mexico
(1960)
Aristeo Jiménez is a Mexican photographer recognized for his commitment to author photography and his ability to find beauty in life's harshest situations. His work reflects his deep connection to his surroundings and his commitment to documenting reality from an intimate and personal perspective.
Born in 1960 in Ahualulco, San Luis Potosí, although he grew up in Monterrey, Nuevo León. His first encounter with photography occurred at the age of 12 when he worked as an assistant to a traveling photographer, and then at 15 as an assistant to Patricia Curiel, who was filming a documentary about the Tierra y Libertad neighborhood in Monterrey. Since then, he fell in love with photography and began exploring his environment through his camera. During his adolescence, Aristeo worked as a "cácaro" in a cinema in his neighborhood, where he also became fond of Mexican cinema. It was during this time that he received his first Canon camera as a gift from a photographer working on a documentary about his neighborhood. This coincidence marked the beginning of his passion for photography.
Aristeo studied Visual Arts at UANL and Clothing Design at Arte, AC. Throughout his career, he worked as a photojournalist for local newspapers such as El Porvenir and El Norte de Monterrey. However, his true calling was in author photography, especially in portraying life on the margins of society. His work is characterized by exploring everyday life in marginal and peripheral places, such as bars, traveling circuses, and popular neighborhoods. Through his black and white photographs, he seeks to capture the human essence amidst poverty, loneliness, and despair, exploring themes of nostalgia, transformation, and exclusionary environments.
Jiménez has been influenced by several photographers. Among Mexicans, he highlights the work of Mariana Yampolsky and Lázaro Blanco. He also admires the work of Manuel Álvarez. Internationally, he is attracted to the photography of Eugéne Atget (French) and August Sander (German), especially for their ability to portray people.
Throughout his career, Aristeo has participated in numerous exhibitions both in Mexico and abroad, and has collaborated with important photography publications. In addition to his artistic work, he teaches workshops to vulnerable communities, using photography as a tool for social change. With this work, he aims to change people's perspectives and, in some cases, even help them make a living through photography.