Sergio PurtellLove's Labour

From the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, Sergio Purtell bought a cheap return ticket from New York to London every summer. From there, he got an Eurorail to travel across Europe easily. After running away from the impending Chilean dictatorship at the age of 18, Purtell fell in love with photography and his art history classes convinced him of the need to see Europe. “A young man sets out to find his Love. As he traverses the European continent, he learns to forget the past, live in the present, and appreciate the journey. How does one fall in love? By being present, an act that is unavoidable when making pictures in the world. In photography, love is not blind—although many things can, deceptively, go unnoticed: a small gesture, the radiance of a glance, the texture of skin, the shape of a neck, a flitting blush, downcast eyes, a modest grace. Love can be a connection to something greater than ourselves, or the thing that shows us who we are. It requires relentless dedication. The fountains merge with the river and rivers with the ocean and the waves embrace each other.” – Sergio Purtell.