Background
Johnny Moncada (Giovanni Luigi Moncada di Paternò), son of Conte Corrado Moncada dei Principi di Paternò, Sicilian aristocrat of Spanish descent and Teresa Patrizi, daughter of Marchese Giuseppe Patrizi and Francesca Lee Cooper, descendant from the Lees of Virginia.
Career
His career began with advertising photography and takes a definite path after meeting Joan Whelan, in 1954, an American model for Hubert de Givenchy who had just arrived in Rome to show Emilio Pucci clothes. The photos of Johnny Moncada, a synthesis between art and fashion, capture the spirit of their time with great elegance and style. He publishes with Linea Italiana, Harper"s Bazaar United Kingdom, New York Times Magazine, The Tatler, Grazia, Novità, and others
He also works in advertisement for VespaPiaggio and Alitalia airlines.
His studio became an important center for artists such as Gastone Novelli and Cy Twombly, and designers like Valentino, Mila Schön, Pino Lancetti, Irene Galitzine, Rocco Barocco, Sorelle Fontana, and many others He works in Paris, London and New York and travels worldwide for Alitalia.
He closed his studio in 1970 and opened HG advertising agency in 1973, after having worked as creative advisor for Pgbs advertising. In 2011, when Johnny Moncada died, the Nando Peretti Foundation is supporting the creation of the Archive.
In 2012 Valentina Moncada rendered homage to her father with a solo exhibition within the Via Margutta Art Festival, remembering his historic studio in Via Margutta 54.
In 2014 the exhibition The Unseen Photographs by Johnny Moncada opened at Somerset House London, curated by Valentina Moncada and Antonio Monfreda, after launching the volume published by In July 2014 the exhibition Una Visione Modernista. Johnny Moncada Gastone Novelli Achille Perilli opened at Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia, Rome, curated by Valentina Moncada with the collaboration of Ludovico Pratesi, volume published by In November 2014 the exhibition From Vera to Veruschka opened at MACRO - Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome within the XIII Edition of FOTOGRAFIA - Festival Internazionale di Roma curated by Marco Delogu.