Dimitri Mellos was born in Athens, Greece and has lived in New York City since 2005. His work has been exhibited in Athens, London, Berlin, Barcelona, New York, San Francisco, Canberra, and elsewhere, and resides in private and public collections.
John Szarkowski said of Garry Winogrand that “his ambition was not to make good pictures, but through photography to know life.” This statement perfectly epitomizes Dimitri’s photographic aspirations and approach. His involvement with both photography and psychology is founded on a deep-seated curiosity and empathy, an insatiable interest in people and what makes them tick. He aspires to making photos that are not just formally interesting, but also emotionally nuanced and intellectually stimulating; photos that ask rather than answer questions, and that invite the viewer to develop a keener appreciation of the humble fabric of everyday life.
About ‘Immigrants All‘:
As a fairly recent immigrant to America, the delicate balance and integration of dual (or multiple) identities that most immigrants to this country engage in on a daily basis has long fascinated me. Several years ago I started documenting the outward expression of people’s specific national identities as well as of their common American one, as manifested through the parades and other events of the various ethnic and immigrant communities of New York.
At this time more than ever, I feel it is absolutely essential to affirm, celebrate, and explore diversity in America, and to make sure we never forget that almost everyone in this country comes from a lineage of immigrants.
The great challenge with this project was to manage to make unposed, genuine, spontaneous photos and maintain a “fly-on-the-wall” approach and aesthetic in the context of public happenings where people, by the very nature of the situation, try to project and exhibit a very tailored and controlled image of themselves and their cultural heritage. I believe that capturing unguarded moments rather than artificially posed pictures is a more effective way to truly acknowledge and celebrate people’s individuality.
