Echoes of Malta: The Wilfred Flores Collection

In many ways, Flores was more than a photographer, he was a chronicler from a bygone era. He went above and beyond the idea of merely timekeeping and landscape photography, choosing instead to capture stories, capturing people as they went about their daily lives.

Given recent and ongoing environmental concerns in Malta, as trees are “pruned” to make way for more roads and more cars, the timing of the launch suddenly becomes even more significant.

Pisani says his work has a “quasi romantic” connection to nature and that it needs to be seen within the context of the time he was in.

It captures simplicity, authenticity and peace from a pre-construction Malta, revealing an innocence to Malta that has long since disappeared in most aspects of life. Ultimately his intention was not to document Malta (as many others were doing) but to go beyond the document towards a more contemplative reading of his photographs.

Looking into his background more, we learn that although he worked as a forensic expert, Flores developed an interest in photography from an early age. This was no doubt influenced in part by his father who himself was a keen photographer.

In fact, Pisani states that it was this forensic background that equipped Flores with advanced technical knowledge for photography. He was inventive and technically skilled in darkroom printing. “By comparison very few photographers in Malta were attaining his level of artistic interpretation and metaphor”.

For collectors and admirers of Flores's work or those interested to find out more, you can find his prints available for purchase by clicking here. For more information on the launch of his collection, contact Christine X Art Gallery in Sliema on 99844653.