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Edward Donato's black & white photography evokes nostalgia, both pleasurable and troublesome, as the contained images emerge at odds with the history they seem to represent. In these works, familiar elements mark human relationships with morality and the natural world. Sometimes bleak and sometimes fanciful, these images actively disturb the expected balances of light and dark. Such photographic investigations result, in part, from the artists continuing reflections of his upbringing and religious training. A conflicted, and perhaps somewhat surrealist, perspective is brought to bear on worlds otherwise so clearly defined.
The son of a missionary family, Edward Donato practiced as an adolescent by documenting his families work in Eastern Europe and South America. He continued to photograph theological missions into adulthood, and pursed the ministry himself, completing the seminary before turning to photography full-time. After numerous group exhibitions and several solo exhibitions, Edward Donato remains committed to art photography, which allows him the freedom of creating images without the commercial pressure of pleasing clients. Living and working in Los Angeles, being over shadowed by Hollywood and the entertainment industry; Edward Donato has no desire to shoot celebrities, make political commentary or explore mainstream popular culture. This, in spite of being approached quite often by celebrities, wanting to promote themselves with his visual ability. Edward Donato directs his attention and remains motivated by obscure human experiences, with unique blends of decadence and romance. He wrote and directed a feature film Jesus is Coming, in 2002. A sad yet strangely humourous story about a charismatic street preacher, who was mysteriously abducted and murdered. Jesus Is Coming, which the cast includes, Golden Globe winner, Ron Perlman (City of lost Children, Hellboy), Heather Whalquist (Alpha Dog), and Paige Moss (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). However the movie was pulled from theaters after it received a NC-17 rating, due to sexual content and violence. A new digitally remastered unrated directors cut is soon to be released. Visit JesusIsComingMovie.com to find out more and view the movie trailer. Several other movie projects are in the works. Currently his main project is Hummingbird Lane which is in its final stages of post production. Starring Terryn Westbrook,(Inland Empire). The Hummingbird Lane movie is being described as a dreamy fairy tale, but is being kept under raps until its final completion. This to avoid video leaks and reviews on you tube and other upload video/movie rating web sites. After parting ways with long time gallery representation, Edward Donato aka Eduardus Donatella started a film production company, publishing company, and gallery called; Cinema Opulentus. Shortly after Cinema Opulentus was launched online in March of 2007, several hundred limited edition prints were completely sold out. Quite remarkable for a small company, with very little advertising, and a photographer who's work is virtually known only in New York, Los Angeles and Rome Edward Donato admits he is very reclusive, never gives interviews or promotes his work himself. He spends much of his time with his young daughter, friends and family; and shooting photographs. His desire as a photographer is to contribute a box of photographs that proves he once lived and was in the world... Edward Donato, also known as Eduardus Donatella and Count Eduardus Donatella; which is a trademark and company name, created for publishing and printing, greeting cards and limited edition books. Available soon! |
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| Portraits of Photographer Edward Donato | |||||||||||||
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| jesusiscomingmovie.com | |||||||||||||
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| Over seven hundred new believers wait in line to be baptized, during a missionary event in Brazil. Photo: Edward Donato. Published in National Geographic, 1981,(Age twelve). | |||||||||||||
| cinemaopulentus.com | |||||||||||||
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| The photographs are created using a large format 4x5 Cambo Monorail camera with a series of Carl Ziess lenses. Once the camera negative is exposed, it's then hand developed, processed and quickly dried; to leave stains or chemical residue on the negative. Any scrapes or scratches on the negative are made by hand. Sometimes the negative is cut or even sanded. It's then washed and dried again. Then the negative is place into a high resolution digital scan, to create a composite image. The composite image is then reproduced into a 4x5 negative and hand printed to 16x20. |  |
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| CinemaOpulentus.com | |||||||||||||