Think On It

A genius — un genio

May 26th, 2007

Procida yellow

This is the work of an Italian photographer who calls himself “Aged Senator.” I asked and received permission to use this photograph to headline this post.

This man has been taking photographs since the 1950s. His early photographs are a stunning black and white record of a world that is gone and that I am sad not to see. Some of the work is on camera oscura which is so demanding that in school I accomplished one shot which I had to do to pass and then walked away forever. It requires lenses arranged so that you can see or shoot something not really visible to you. His are masterpieces. His portraits stun with their reach into the portrayed.

As his work moves into color you find that he not only is a great composer, but great at seeing the chromatic detail that tells Italy’s story. I want to go everywhere he shows.

I can’t spend a lot of time looking at his photos at one time, because they overwhelm me. There’s a physical sensation of being filled up so that I can’t breathe. I want to know his people, see his places, I want to be there at once and I am greedy for all the feelings he evokes. Go forewarned that you may also feel helplessly involved in his world.

I can’t even remember how I found his pages, but I am so satisfied that I did. It is a museum of images past and present that paint the Italy that invaded me in 1973 irrevocably and made me come here to live. All of Italy is not beautiful, but all of the Aged Senator’s Italy is charged with an energy and a searching quality that will make you overlook what she’s got wrong. Because you can see that she’s got it mostly right.

Just go.

Entry Filed under: Italy, Brains, Heroes, Beauty

8 Comments Add your own

1. KC | May 28th, 2007 at 11:10 am

His photos of Naples in the 1950s are breathtakingly beautiful. It’s amazing to see how much has changed there, and how much hasn’t changed. So far, that’s all I’ve had a chance to look at, but I’ll be back to his site next time a have a few spare minutes. Thanks for posting the link, Judith.
2. Jackie | May 28th, 2007 at 3:10 pm

small world–i’ve been following his photos over on flickr for quite a bit too. he IS amazing. his outlook on all things italian is really beautiful.

neat post!

Jackie
3. Janet | May 28th, 2007 at 8:43 pm

Oh. My. Beautiful! Thanks for posting the link to such wonderful photographs, Judith!
4. Ric | May 29th, 2007 at 7:08 pm

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing the link.
5. Cyn | June 1st, 2007 at 9:13 am

What a beautiful photo! Thanks for bringing him to my attention. I am looking forward to seeing the others…
Cyn
6. Jeff Gromen | June 1st, 2007 at 4:00 pm

I’m inspirated by these photos. I want to develope an “eye” for photos like he has. I hope that’s possible. My brother in law seems to already have an artistic touch like the aged senator.
7. Judith | June 3rd, 2007 at 9:01 am

Jeff, I would give anything to have a fraction of this talent. I am trying to learn not to shoot “postcards.” It’s really hard in a country like Italy, where everything has already been made into a postcard! Still, when I bracket, I try to use an impossible angle or make it out of focus a bit, to avoid the postcard effect.
If only postcards were as revealing as Vittorio’s work!
8. Gil | June 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 am

I’ve seen his comments on Ember_Oboe’s photos and never realized that he was such an institution. Thanks for pointing it out.