_Perso a Roma___In the fall of 2012, while in my senior year of
college, I studied in Rome, Italy for a few months. During my time
there, I took a black and white film photography class where I learned
and practiced the basic principles of shooting, developing and
printing. Having only experimented with color digital photography
previously, this class really altered my perspective on creating
images. Besides adjusting my perception to account for the color
change, the analog and labor-intensive process of rendering images in
film, created a new sense of value for me. I started to think ahead
and be more mindful about what I was shooting, why I was shooting it
and how I would ultimately achieve my desired result. The effort that
went into creating each image brought me a level of gratification that
I had not experienced with digital photography.
Since the day I finished that class, I have always envisioned doing
something special with those images. In the spring of 2019, I finally
decided to dig up the film negatives out of my drawer and create that
special something – my first solo exhibition, _Perso a Roma_. The
series I will be presenting includes a selection of over fifty images,
split up into five volumes, illustrating a cross-section of my
experiences while living in and exploring the city of Rome.
Besides fulfilling that vision I had years ago, my decision to share
these images with you, at this time, is strongly influenced by a
journey I began to pursue recently. Growing up as a third-generation
Italian-American, there has been some unintentional disconnect with my
native culture. I have spent the past couple of years reflecting on
this, and have been actively addressing that gap, by gradually
immersing myself in Italian culture in various ways. Despite my
family’s efforts to preserve particular traditions over the years,
the language itself has largely been left behind. Like many
first-generation Americans, with the intent of assimilation, my
grandparents did not pass down the language to my parents
unfortunately. Therefore, I have made it a goal to teach myself the
Italian language with the purpose to not only further connect to my
roots, but to also be able to teach my future children. Language and
art are both essential means of sustaining and passing on culture from
one generation to the next.
As my first solo exhibition, _Perso a Roma_ is a journey of its own.
This project has given me the opportunity to grow personally,
artistically and professionally. I experienced lots of firsts, made
mistakes, fell down, picked myself up and kept pushing despite the
numerous times I wanted to abandon the project. I truly devoted myself
to these efforts for several months hoping to create something
memorable for you.
Thank you to my family, my girlfriend and select individuals for
supporting and believing in me, especially my mother who has been by
my side through every phase of this project. And thank you for being a
part of this adventure – it means a lot to me.
_• a s b •_
culture
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01/03/2020 Last update