Carlos Gallardo is Bachelor in Arts and Bachelor in Aesthetics from the Universidad Católica de Chile, with later studies in Ansel Adam's cinematographic photography Zone System with Argentinian cinematographer Andrés Silvart.
Carlos Gallardo's oeuvre is considered to be part of what French-Chilean art theoretician Nelly Richard named Escena de Avanzada, scene referring to Chilean artists and intellectuals that developed experimental and conceptual practices and discourses during the military dictatorship in Chile (1973-1990), marginalised from the official artistic circuit. In 1982, Carlos was invited by Ms Richard to be part of the Chilean presentation at the XII Biennale de Paris.
From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, the artist worked primarily on engraving and performance, being his work A la Carne de Chile (1978 – 1983), a series of actions and photographic records at slaughterhouses in Santiago, one of the most relevant creations in Chilean art of the period. This series, along with Edición es: 10 muertes con igual procedimiento (1979) and Acción de La Rosa (1981), highlight the serial and oppressive nature of animal death, which on a connotative level alluded to the repression of bodies suffered in the military dictatorship.
His recent work continues investigating the photographic medium and the moving image, but from a digital support. From pixel notion, it proposes a study on how images circulating on the Internet are viewed, transmitted and captured, and how these suffer alterations, distortions and variations in their process of diffusion and consumption through the web.
Carlos has developed his career in multiple fronts. During much of his professional path, he has been professor of advanced graphics, and assistant professor of engraving and creation, serigraphy, drawing and creation, colour and advanced colour at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, as wel as other institutions, such as Universidad de Santiago, UNIACC and Universidad de Las Américas.
His artistic production has been distinguished with several awards, satnding out the Corporación Amigos del Arte and Fundación Pacífico fellowships. The artist's work has been presented at important biennials the world, including Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Switzerland, Poland, France and Finland, and is part of important public and private collections in Chile, Argentina, Colombia, the United States, Great Britain and France.
Carlos Gallardo currently lives and works in Santiago.