Mario Cravo Neto was always interested in religious celebrations. He was never tired of attending them. He converted to Candomblé without turning it into a profession of faith. These images hold the revelation of the spontaneity and vitality of African-Brazilian traditions. His friendship with Pierre Verger and Lina Bo Bardi is made explicit in this contact with popular elements and magic. Sculpture is in his dna, and showing the votive offerings is showing the body simultaneously as a plastic and symbolic material.
His series depicting statues of prophets by Aleijadinho in the city of Congonhas do Campo was Cravo Neto’s first adventure into photography. It was produced before he moved to New York, and in it we see the sculptor’s son searching for the expression engraved in stone and unveiled in the contrast of light. His search for dramatic effect and his sharp eye for the baroque never fell into sentimental exaggeration.
—L.C.O.