Richard Petronio

Richard Petronio was born in the shadows of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City into an Italian family. He currently resides in Seattle, Washington in the United States where he works as a photographer and professor. Petronio pursued a career as an international consulting psychologist for over 30 years and has continuously practiced the art of picture-taking since his adolescence; often alongside his father who was a gifted artist, landscape photographer, and architect in his own right. His photographic inspirations are derived from many different sources; the places in which he has resided across the world, the cultures he has immersed himself within, and the people with whom he has interacted. He is particularly attuned to the psychology of self-presentation both of himself and the individuals in which he interacts. This psychology drives the gestalt of his photography and the images which he creates are allegories of life often with hidden meanings. His artistic imagery spans a number of different photographic classifications; performance, street-life, photojournalism, architectural and portraiture. His most recent creative endeavors and passions are found within the realm of surrealistic photography; in particular the adaptation of surrealism to Renaissance architecture in Italy. His work in this arena started in Bologna and the bulk of his current work is derived from the 14th to 16th century architecture found there.