In the photographic art book Venice, the magic of masks, the author conveys in a few dense and revealing lines the meaning of the black eyes of the masks that inhabit his images.
In the photo book “Venice, the magic of masks”, a very important feature concerns the eyes of the masks. They are all deliberately obscured (by the author) for various reasons:
1) During the shoot, the model posed not only for the photographer, but for dozens of photographers positioned in front of her. Therefore, the subject looked in various directions, and there was a real possibility of having a photo with her eyes looking to the right or to the left.
This would have significantly compromised the final image, creating a distortion that would have shifted the focus away from the image as a whole and onto a single detail (the eyes). The relevance to the theme of “the magic of masks” would have been diminished, as the subject would have become the eyes rather than the mask.
2) The other important factor, resulting from the first, is the overall appearance of the mask, which, with black eyes, is completely uniform and more compact, thus eliminating any background noise. Attention shifts from the eye effect to the mask effect.
3) On an esoteric level, black represents the absence of light, mystery, and the unknown, serving as a container of infinite possibilities and potential energies.
4) Again on an esoteric level, the mask represents a tool for transformation, protection between the visible and the invisible, and protection linked to a ritual.
5) When looking at the mask without eyes, the interlocutor enters the mask, wears it, and sees within himself the reasons that led him to wear it: it could be a game, an obsession, a way of hiding, or something else.
6) Upon entering the mask, the interlocutor is drawn to it and thus to the author's work.
It is a work that leaves no one indifferent but strikes, captivates, excites, and intrigues. Never monotonous, predictable, or familiar; something new, elusive. It is a work carved in the heart of the author, who makes it visual, alive, and accessible to all.
It is a work that has been conceived, studied, and mulled over, the result of a technique developed over the years with experience and dedication as a freelance photographer in motor racing, particularly Formula One.
His studio experience, with still life and fashion photography, defines his style.
