Disciples

The "Disciples" show at Timothy Taylor Gallery in London in 2003 saw Mario Testino diverge from his usual subjects and subject matter, showcasing a more personal body of work. For eight years, whenever Testino was able to take time out from his hypercharged, adrenalised life, he would make private visits to churches in places such as Rome, Naples, Seville and Ayacucho (in his native Peru) and take photographs of what he would see.

"Disciples" turned the lens onto the intense colour, pageant and rituals found in Catholicism. Testino said: "To me there’s no difference between spiritual and corporal because they’re united; whenever there is body there is mind. We’re indebted to this religious sense of beauty because it’s not just about something that’s pretty or decorative; there’s always a story or a sense of narrative. When I photograph someone, I try to find who doesn’t just have a classic beauty, but who also has something inside them that is of interest. When I enter a church I can’t help but feel something inside, perhaps because that’s how I’ve been raised – it’s my tradition. Even though it is beautiful, the emotion it stirs is the most essential aspect of the experience."

Mario Testino, "Disciples", Timothy Taylor Gallery, London 2003.

2006 – Galeria Ramis Barquet, Monterrey
2003 – Timothy Taylor Gallery, London