Giovanni Maria Sacco
TIFA 2024 Interview with Giovanni Maria Sacco
1st Place winner in Book, Non-Professional, “Silent Theaters”
Q: You were awarded 1st Place in Book, with “Silent Theaters”, published by Kehrer Verlag in 2023. Can you tell us something about it?
I am extremely glad and honored by this award. “Silent Theaters” deals with the impermanence of human things or, in short, with death. I think that abandoned factories are a fit metaphor for this. They were filled with sound, people, work, like theaters. Suddenly, this stops and is no longer.
“Silent Theaters” is the first volume in a trilogy. The second one, “Concrete Metaphysics” published by Contrasto in 2024, is the other side of the coin and is concerned with what is eternal and the true reality that we are not able to perceive. Both books are available through Amazon.
Death and metaphysics are my main themes, that I see from different perspectives.
Q: Where does it stand in your artistic production?
I do not specialize in any specific genre. Like Walt Whitman “I am large. I contain multitudes” and, although I often photograph architecture, I also photograph still lifes, nudes, portraits, etc.
To quote Carlos Castaneda’s Don Juan: “For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length–and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.”
You are welcomed to take a look at my site www.gmsacco.com to have an idea of the breadth of my interests.
Q: How do you approach a new photography project? Can you walk us through your creative process, from concept to execution?
It really depends on the project. Some projects are born and executed in a very short time, still lifes, for example. Others depend on other people and organizing them can be difficult and sometimes disheartening, e.g. nudes. Some projects require a thorough preparation. In my latest book, I spent a long time researching places. Then the execution was neatly planned down to gps coordinates.
Q: Your winning project stood out to the jury for its unique perspective. How do you ensure your work maintains originality and authenticity in a competitive field?
By not caring about competition, fads and gimmicks. I photograph for myself and I do it because I believe I have something to say.
Q: As a photographer, how do you balance technical expertise with artistic vision? Do you lean more heavily on one, or do they work hand in hand for you?
There is no doubt that artistic vision is more important than technique. A great technique without a vision means nothing; a great vision with a poor technique can still make an important statement. However, what I strive for is a vision with a good technique.
Q: What role does post-processing play in your work? Do you consider it an extension of your creativity, or do you aim to keep your images as natural as possible?
A photograph is never natural, so I do not have anything against post-processing. It really depends on the project. In one of my projects, “Memento Mori”, I depend very much on post-processing to achieve a pictorial rendition. In most other projects, little or no post-processing, especially since I am more and more using large format film.
Q: Who do you draw inspiration from, both in painting and photography? What are your main references??
Though I am not directly inspired by anyone, I am especially drawn to De Chirico’s Metaphysical School (“Painting what is invisible”), Magic Realism and Hyperrealism. I am also interested in pictorialist photography.
Painters I admire, among many others, are De Chirico, Piero della Francesca, Hopper, Hammershoi, Piranesi, Sironi and Casorati. For the human body, Schiele and Freud.
In photography I like Stieglitz, Cameron, Sarah Moon, Paolo Roversi, Arthur Tress, Saudek, Sudek, Tichy, Koppitz and Drtikol.
But I am also influenced by Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism. Furthermore, having been for thirty years a researcher and university professor in computer science, Ockham and his razor obviously have a paramount importance in my work.
Q: Winning this award is a significant accomplishment. How do you plan to leverage this recognition to further your career or make a greater impact in the photography world?
Awards have been a significant touchstone for my work, because only recently I started to exhibit my photographs. I believe that this important award will make my art more visible and appreciated.
Q: What advice would you give to photographers about finding their unique voice in a crowded industry? How can they stay true to their vision while appealing to a broader audience?
I would like to let Ansel Adams speak on my behalf: “You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
