November 2007
When we refer to art, the words and terms are necessarily charged with a metaphorical and often ambiguous content. This is due to the poetic origin of artistic discourse, which is partly responsible for the controversies, disagreements, and arguments that arise in discussions about art. One of the most widespread conceptual misunderstandings related to the art of photography is the notion of its fundamental property to describe accurately. If we accept, correctly, that photography describes parts of the existing world and real life, then anything that contributes to a fuller and more accurate description should be considered not just desirable but also imperative. Following this logic, the clearest possible depiction, approaching the capabilities of our eyes, the largest possible size, approaching the dimensions of reality, the complete absence of purely white or black spaces, since real life does not tolerate areas without visual information, the color with the greatest possible fidelity to that of the real scene, and finally, why not, the three-dimensional rendition when it becomes technically feasible, should be favored. The result will increasingly approximate a faithful representation of life, but also highlight the greater value of reality compared to that of fantasy, as the former always overshadows the latter. Thus, photography will prove how useless it can be. Conversely, if we perceive and accept this fundamental characteristic of photography, which is the description, as a portrayal of the world and life filtered through our personal imagination, then we give full value to photography while simultaneously preserving the most precious dimension of artistic creation, which is the subjectivity of the gaze. After all, the great challenge of photography lies in the fact that what constitutes the goal and content of all art, namely the subjective view of the world and life, in this case, is achieved with instruments and tools that are highly objective. Under this prism, everything becomes acceptable. Black and white, color, and even altered color. Selective focusing. Extreme shooting angles. Empty spaces. Movement and stillness. However, all are judged and selected based on their contribution to revealing the illusion that reality encompasses. Thus, the artist, using elements not entirely faithful to reality, can render with touching fidelity the intermediate space connecting the external real world with the inner world of the artist. And this is the quest of all art.
Plato Rivellis