On the other side…

It is less comfortable for many photographers to be on the other side of the lens, the one depicted, the focus of attention. Yet, sometimes necessary.

It is like watching a foreign language film with subtitles. If you know both languages well, there is always some part of your brain that is reading the subtitles and checking the accuracy and appropriateness of the translation. But in life, it is all right to let go sometimes, trust that the ‘other guy’ has got it under control. The expression of the person’s art might not have been yours, but it is not the point; en la varieda està el gusto.

Photos must take physical form to be appreciated, to be consumed, to be seen. The impact of a large print is not that of small screen on your phone. A series of prints in an exhibition is not a slideshow on a computer screen.

The theatre, Il Rossetti, in Trieste, Italy, represents the entire region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It hosted my exhibition; FVG sguardi inconsueti, for the 2022/23 season. Over several months, thousands of theatre goers were able to see my work. The prints were donated to the charity, I Bambini del Danubio, and generated some much needed funds. You give and you receive life. You inherit and you donate. Una società diventa grande quando gli anziani piantano alberi sotto la cui ombra sanno di non sedersi mai.

Photo: Gabriele Crozzoli