Fernández, Pepe

He studied piano with Enrique Barenboim, father of Daniel Barenboim, friend of Juan Rodolfo Wilcock, Héctor Bianciotti, Alberto Greco. He switched from piano to photography, and in August 1954, he departed for Paris with Silvina Ocampo and Adolfo Bioy Casares. There he was awaited by Leda Valladares and María Elena Walsh, who wrote and dedicated her famous Zamba for Pepe to him—a kind of anthem for emigrated friends—Julio Cortázar and Lalo Schifrin. And later, to Nadia Boulanger in 1966. He returned to Buenos Aires in 1956, worked at Editorial Abril as editor of photo novels, and went back to France in 1963, where he settled permanently. He was a correspondent for cinema and sports and the obligatory photographer of Argentines in Paris. He was a correspondent for Editorial Atlántida. He became the photographer of Astor Piazzolla, Pablo Neruda, Julio Cortázar, Mikis Theodorakis, Manuel Mujica Lainez, Guillermo Vilas, Osvaldo Piazza, Carlos Monzón, Jorge Luis Borges, Jairo, Paul Newman, Julie Christie, Rubén Juárez, Ernesto Sabato, Susana Rinaldi, Horacio Salgán, Italo Calvino, and others. He exhibited his works in Paris, New York, and Buenos Aires. Sara Facio organized an exhibition of his work at the San Martín Theater. A tribute exhibition with eleven of his portraits of writers was held at Villa Ocampo (Casa de Cultura) with a prologue by Ernesto Schoo.