William Blake insisted that if «the doors of perception were purified everything would appear before man as it really is: infinite.» From this phrase comes the title of an essay by Aldous Huxley The Doors of Perception, and the name of a legendary group, The Doors, as well as one of its most emblematic songs, «Break on Through» in which they remind us of something we intend forget: You know that the day destroys the night, that the night divides the day. You try to run, you try to hide, to break through to the other side. We have to establish what it means to «purify», and to accept the anxious impossibility of understanding the «infinite».

Some people assume that these «doors of perception» are the senses, and that these, in turn, are more like windows (windows are less determinant than doors, since they do not require going out or entering with their feet and heads) . According to this version, the «purification» would be equivalent to a simple cleaning with a good vinegar and yesterday’s newspaper. But the senses try to «make sense», give us the missing piece and fit in the always incomplete constructive system of our own reality: that’s why we say «have a nose for opportunities», «good taste to find the right combination» , «tact to present a complaint», «view for future situations», «hearing to compose». With this introduction I only try to explain my gratitude to a photographer who seeks to purify himself by giving meaning to his vision of our city and the world, and thus, to look out, or open the door, to the constant challenges of a staggering infinity.

Federico Vegas

Luis Augusto Vegas Vicentini — Venezuelan Artist and Photographer

Luis Augusto Vegas Vicentini is a Venezuelan artist and self-taught photographer whose passion for 35mm photography was sparked in 1992 during his junior year of high school. That summer, he began a formative internship at Fischer Grey Advertising, where, under the mentorship of senior creatives, he first learned to view the world through the lens of a camera.

It was then that he realized his future would be shaped by the twin forces of photography and visual storytelling.

In the years that followed, Luis refined his eye through the medium of black-and-white 35mm photography, capturing abstract compositions, portraits, and architectural forms. His images revealed a unique visual language that blended technical precision with artistic instinct.

By 1998, he had begun a professional career in advertising, working with some of Venezuela’s most prominent agencies. As an executive producer, he led the development of TV commercials, radio campaigns, and photoshoots, collaborating with many of the nation’s most accomplished photographers. These experiences deepened his understanding of both production and aesthetics, while further fueling his own creative journey. During this time, Luis remained committed to his personal photography, gradually transitioning from analog to digital as he traveled and experimented with new techniques.

In 2009, he made the pivotal decision to focus entirely on photography. Embracing emerging technologies, he devoted himself to mastering the digital tools shaping modern visual culture. Over the next five years, Luis took part in group exhibitions, photography competitions, and in time held his first solo show, Katharsys in HDR, by then the first exhibition in Venezuela’s history dedicated exclusively to High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography.

Meanwhile, Venezuela had descended into escalating chaos.

What began in 1999 as a political crisis rapidly deteriorated into a fascist, authoritarian regime defined by catastrophic corruption, state-sponsored violence, and the collapse of civil society. In 2014, like many of his generation, Luis was forced into exile becoming one more voice in the largest human exodus in the history of the Western Hemisphere.

Now based in the Dominican Republic, Luis continues to explore his new surroundings, its light, its people, its pulse. Through portraits, street photography, and abstract works, he seeks to capture that elusive, perfect image—one that speaks, stirs, and tells a story worth remembering.

The search for beauty never ends.

EXHIBICIONES – EXHIBITS

• • El Mercado 100% Venezolano, nuevo Mercado Municipal de Chacao durante el mes de Agosto del año 2010.

• • F.I.A. 2011 (Feria Iberoamericana de Arte) Hotel Tamanaco, Caracas – Venezuela. Duración: desde el miércoles 15 hasta el lunes 20 de Junio de 2011, en los espacios de la Galería Espacio MAD.

• • «Colectiva Caracas Te Amo», Galería Espacio MAD, Centro de Artes Los Galpones, Caracas 22 de Junio 2011.

• • KATHARSYS IN HDR exhibición individual de Luis A. Vegas V., Galería Espacio MAD, Centro de Artes Los Galpones, Caracas 21 de Agosto 2011.   

• • Exhibición de tres obras abstractas de LAVV PHOTOGRAPHY en el Restaurant Wok & Roll. 

• • «Caracas Puro Contraste» por Absolut Vodka y Druckhaus, seleccionado entre los ganadores de ésta competencia. Caracas 3 de Septiembre de 2011. 

• • CELARG, con la «Colectiva Caracas Te Amo aún Mas». Caracas 23 de Octubre 2011. 

• • Photomaton (Grupo Fotográfico de Venezuela C.A.), exhibición individual por LAVV titulada «Multiple», Caracas 7 de Junio 2012.
    

• • Biblioteca Fundación Francisco Herrera Luque, exhibición fija de la obra «Un Juego Transparente» en las instalaciones de esta prestigiosa fundación.
    

• Lima Photo 2014, Lima – Peru. Representado por la Galería D’Museo. Fechas: 6 – 10 de agosto 2014