Theresa Ortolani

Artist / Based in Brooklyn, NY

"Theresa Ortolani is that rare and particular type of artist who will not only consistently attempt to grow and define her work in ambitious and challenging ways, but she will ultimately succeed in making them happen – with... read on
Focus: Photographer, Filmmaker, Artist
Skills: Mixed Media, Multimedia Production, Cinematographer
   
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D I R E C T O R

Name of the Father (Feature Documentary 2023)
A filmmaker ferries us along a self-reflexive search for her biological roots, weaving a cinematic dreamscape of intimate storytelling. After a lifetime of separation, her birth parents are reunited across oceans by the infant they surrendered. Jerome Foundation NYC Film Grant Finalist; International Documentary Association DCTV WIP selection; PDN Photo Annual Multimedia Winner (teaser) and Visura First Place Finalist Multimedia Winner (teaser); select photographs were included in the New York and the Seoul Photo Festivals and were recognized by International Photo Awards in Photo Essay, Moving Image, and Deeper Perspective categories. 

BOUND: The Corporeal Pleasure
Forthcoming monograph and multimedia installation examining limitation that provides for expansion outwards, but is always bound to tangible, bodily origins. Select images were included in the New York Photo Festival and exhibited at Baxter Street Gallery

[DE]COMPOS[ED] (Artist Book 2015, 7x7, 50 plates) Images explore the systems and boundaries between binaries (text/image, conscious/unconscious, corporeal/spiritual, material/intangible) and focus on the points at which these constructs converge, invert, subvert and decompose. IPA/Lucie 2nd place Self-Published Book and Honorable Mention in six categories: Book, Fine Art, Nude, Collage, Abstract, Still Life. Select images were included in Klompching Gallery's FRESH and Baxter Street Gallery exhibits.

ENDURANCE (powerHouse Books 2010, 8.5x11, 155 plates)
Award-winning monograph offers embedded access and a scope that spans three years of off-road racing: a dangerous enterprise populated with a colorful, profane cast of daredevils. Selected as a PDN Annual Winner (Book, Lifestyle, Documentary, Sports) and IPA/Lucie (Portraiture, Lifestyle, Documentary).

HOW Art + Literary Journal
Creative Director and Contributing Artist to this Bi-Annual publication, featuring emerging and established literary and visual artists. Co-director for the benefit art auction and publication launch, representing over 30 artists.

P R O D U C E R

IM Stunts, Co-Owner / Producer:  DGA/SAG-AFTRA production company providing 2nd Unit Directing, Stunt Coordination and Stunt Actors for Film and TV, including: Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed, Shutter Island, IM Legend, Moonrise Kingdom, True Grit, Noah, Batman, Spiderman, The Bourne series, The Americans, and Happy.

Photography Producer: Allure, Annie Leibovitz, Art Department, Calvin Klein, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Mark Mann, McGarry-Bowen, Men’s Health, Picture Ray, Ralph Lauren, SONY, William Wegman

P H O T O G R A P H E R

BUST, Harper Collins, HOW Art + Literary Journal, Men’s Health, Nickelodeon, powerHouse Magazine, Travel + Leisure, WWD

A W A R D S    &   S E L E C T I O N S 

2019

International Documentary Association / DCTV NYC WIP Selection

Jerome Foundation: NYC Film Production Finalist

International Photo Awards: Street Photography

International Photo Awards: Portraiture

2017

MANIFEST INDA 17 International Drawing Annual

2016

International Photo Awards: Multimedia

PDN Annual Multimedia Winner

Visura: Multimedia Grant

2015

PDN 30 Photographers to Watch Nomination

New York Photo Festival: The Last Picture Show Documentary Winner

Seoul International Photo Festival: Documentary Winner

Klompching Gallery: FRESH Finalist

International Photo Awards: Self Published Book Winner

International Photo Awards: Fine Art

International Photo Awards: Abstract

International Photo Awards: Collage

International Photo Awards: Still Life

International Photo Awards: Nudes

International Photo Awards: Portrait

International Photo Awards: Culture

International Photo Awards: Photo Essay

International Photo Awards: Moving Image

International Photo Awards: Deeper Perspective

2014

International Photo Awards: Book

International Photo Awards: Lifestyle

International Photo Awards: Portraiture

New York Photo Festival: Photo World Finalist

New York Photo Festival: RESOLUTION Finalist

PDN Faces Animal Portraiture Winner

PDN Faces Environmental Portraiture Winner

PDN The Shot Sports Photography Winner

2010

PDN Annual Photo Book Winner

PDN Annual Documentary Winner

PDN Annual Sports Photography Winner

F E L L O W S H I P S  +  S P O N S O R S H I P S 

The European Graduate School Teaching Assistant

Bard-ICP MFA Director's Scholarship

Adorama Equipment Sponsorship

ROOT Brooklyn Equipment Sponsorship

Sojourner Truth Graduate Fellowship

Boston University, College of Fine Arts Merit Scholarship

E X H I B I T S

MANIFEST Gallery; Cincinnati, OH: INDA 17 - International Drawing Annual 2017

Baxter St / Camera Club of New York; New York, NY: Everything That Gathers Blows Away 2016

New York Photo Festival; Brooklyn, NY: The Last Picture Show 2015

Seoul International Photo Festival; Seoul, Korea:  2015

Klompching Gallery; Brooklyn, NY: FRESH 2015 Finalist 2015

Gallery Sensei; New York, NY: Daydream Freak Out 2015

International Center of Photography; New York, NY: [in]flux 2015

New York Photo Festival; Brooklyn, NY: Photo World 2014

New York Photo Festival; Brooklyn, NY: RESOLUTION 2014

powerHouse Arena; Brooklyn, NY: Solo Show, Endurance 2009

powerHouse Arena; Brooklyn, NY: The Hustle 2008

State University of New York; Poughkeepsie, NY: Solo Show, 2000

State University of New York; Poughkeepsie, NY: Solo Show, SEAM 1999

E D U C A T O R

The European Graduate School, PhD Teaching Assistant: Jean-Luc Nancy & Claire Denis, Looking into the Darkness

The European Graduate School, PhD Teaching Assistant: Alfredo Jaar, Public Interventions 

School of Visual Arts, MFA Visiting Artist: Michael Foley, Professional Practice

State University of New York, BFA Adjunct Professor: Instructor of courses in Photography, Design, and Advanced Figure Drawing

TFA at NYU: Designed, developed, acquired funding for, and directed a photography program for NYC at-risk youth. The three month long program featured a residency in Upstate, NY, where the students developed a photography portfolio.

Ansel Adams Center / Friends of Photography, Outreach Coordinator and Co-coordinator of Workshops:  Coordinated a 20-person team of instructors and volunteers;  program development; production; instruction + training. Acted as liaison between artists, artist’s reps, galleries and the museum under the direction of Andy Grundberg. Artists Include: Diane Arbus, Tina Barney, James Casebere, Albert Chong, Larry Fink, Nan Goldin, Dorothea Lang, Duane Michaels, Irving Penn, Lucas Samaris, Cindy Sherman....

Expedition 360, Photo Exchange Program Director:  Designed, developed, acquired funding for, and directed The Global Photo Exchange program in conjunction with Expedition 360, the first human powered circumnavigation of the globe. Biked and kayaked as an expedition team member and distributed Holgas to children in Mexico. The film was processed and printed by photography students in New York City and exhibited at the San Francisco Public Library.

The Richmond Art Center: Designed, developed, acquired funding for, and directed a photography program for Bay Area at-risk youth. The program was put in place as an alternative to the prison system. 

E D U C A T I O N

The European Graduate School, PhD abd: (4.0) Philosophy, Art, Critical Thought; Judith Butler, Supervisor

ICP-Bard, MFA (1 year) Photo/Video: Summa Cum Laude (4.0); Director's Scholarship

SUNY New Paltz, MFA (1 year) Digital Media: Sojourner Truth Graduate Fellowship

Boston University, BFA Sculpture, Photography: Cum Laude; Academic Merit Scholarship