ASSIGNMENT 5
Introduction
In order to develop Assignment 5, I first reviewed the studybook in search of one or more topics that stimulated my attention and my imagination and I took inspiration from the themes introduced in part 5, project 2, "Places & Spaces", then "Journeys", "Walking", "Home ".
I chose a special place, linked to a story that is both fascinating and dramatic.
Val Lapisina is located in the north east of Italy, in a strip of land that winds through the pre-Alps, between Vittorio Veneto in the south and Belluno in the north.
Today the valley is crossed by two roads: the original "strada del Fadalto" and a modern highway (A27), which make a kind of parallel race between the plain and a pass called Fadalto.
The first-born is a classic two-lane road, modernized in 1955, which kindly and discreetly follows the natural profile of this valley, winding between the base of the mountains, streams and small lakes.
At that time it was the shortest way to reach the province of Belluno, the Dolomites and famous ski resorts, such as Cortina D'Ampezzo, which would then host the 1956 Winter Olympics.
Over the years this road stimulated various initiatives in order to give travelers the chance to stop, refresh and enjoy the splendid panorama of mountains and lakes. All this led to the construction of houses, activities and services along these 9,5 km.
This was a prosperous period, and I remember that when I was a child, my father invariably stopped in this area for lunch or dinner on the road to the mountains.
All this gave the impetus to economic growth in a positive spiral, which induced the local population to concentrate its activities and resources on hotels, restaurants, bars, apartments, recreation and everything that could attract the occasional traveler but also those who wanted to spend their free time and holidays in a quiet and pleasant, genuine, non-demanding and not crowded place.
All this until 1994.
Starting from 1994, a highway was built.
The intention of those who took this decision was to encourage and increase traffic and the economy of the province of Belluno. Moreover this work has always been the basis on which to support proposals for organizing further Olympic Games or Championships or international events, located in the Dolomites.
For the record, Cortina d'Ampezzo will organize the next World Alpine Skiing Championships and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
However this high-speed road not only ruined the valley from an aesthetic point of view, but it also detached travelers from contact with the territory and determined the crisis of all those activities and services that had developed along the original road.
History of a valley, a road and a lost identity
Val Lapisina is located in the north east of Italy, in a strip of land that winds through the pre-Alps, between Vittorio Veneto in the south and Belluno in the north.
Today the valley is crossed by two roads: the original "strada del Fadalto" and a modern highway (A27), which make a kind of parallel race between the plain and a pass called Fadalto.
The first-born is a classic two-lane road, modernized in 1955, which kindly and discreetly follows the natural profile of this valley, winding between the base of the mountains, streams and small lakes.
 |
| Map of Val Lapisina and the two roads all the way to Fadalto Pass |
At that time it was the shortest way to reach the province of Belluno, the Dolomites and famous ski resorts, such as Cortina D'Ampezzo, which would then host the 1956 Winter Olympics.
Over the years this road stimulated various initiatives in order to give travelers the chance to stop, refresh and enjoy the splendid panorama of mountains and lakes. All this led to the construction of houses, activities and services along these 9,5 km.
This was a prosperous period, and I remember that when I was a child, my father invariably stopped in this area for lunch or dinner on the road to the mountains.
All this gave the impetus to economic growth in a positive spiral, which induced the local population to concentrate its activities and resources on hotels, restaurants, bars, apartments, recreation and everything that could attract the occasional traveler but also those who wanted to spend their free time and holidays in a quiet and pleasant, genuine, non-demanding and not crowded place.
All this until 1994.
The intention of those who took this decision was to encourage and increase traffic and the economy of the province of Belluno. Moreover this work has always been the basis on which to support proposals for organizing further Olympic Games or Championships or international events, located in the Dolomites.
For the record, Cortina d'Ampezzo will organize the next World Alpine Skiing Championships and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
However this high-speed road not only ruined the valley from an aesthetic point of view, but it also detached travelers from contact with the territory and determined the crisis of all those activities and services that had developed along the original road.
 |
| In the heart of the Val Lapisina, one can have the overview of the original road, in the center, flanked on the lower part by the railway that leads to the city of Belluno, and high up from the highway, which leads directly from the plain to the ephemeral splendor of the "Pearl of the Dolomites", Cortina D'Ampezzo. |
The families, who for many years had invested in the hospitality and service economy, gradually, but inexorably, found themselves without clients.
Later young generations left the valley and their parents to look for new possibilities in the provinces of the plain. And when their parents were too old to continue, everything was abandoned to its fate and to the corrosion of time and abandonment.
My work
In order to create a body of work that represents the consequence of this 25-year story, in text together with a small group of photos, I thought about doing a research on google, reading some books by American professionals, and a mission on the location for the creation of the photo set.
In some ways the process that I followed is connected to the concept of "late photography", a genre where the photographs do not speak of the event but of the traces left by the event itself. For this reason, as suggested by my Tutor, I referred to an essay called 'Safety in Numbness' by David Campany (https://davidcampany.com/safety-in-numbness/ accessed on 18/8/2019 10 am).
In some ways the process that I followed is connected to the concept of "late photography", a genre where the photographs do not speak of the event but of the traces left by the event itself. For this reason, as suggested by my Tutor, I referred to an essay called 'Safety in Numbness' by David Campany (https://davidcampany.com/safety-in-numbness/ accessed on 18/8/2019 10 am).
As for the research, I collected historical material and old images in order to understand more clearly the identity of the place and of the people who first inhabited it, then abandoned it.
I then took inspiration from "Walking the High Line", by Joel Sternfeld", "American Photographs" by Walker Evans, and, especially for the "drifting" approach, from "Uncommon Places" by Stephen Shore.
I collected all the material, reflections and analyzes in my focused page of this learning (b)log, as a support to this Assignment.
As for the three-days mission, I tried to use a "Situationist" approach, according to what I found about this thinking approach while researching on Stephen Shore: in my focused page, Stephen Shore's section, I expanded the research on Situationism and, in particular, on the so called "drift").
On the first day I did a reconnaissance along the original road and took a few test photos, in order to verify if the place was worth the choice.
In the second/third day I dedicated myself to retrace the road meter by meter, making frequent variations of route and choosing hidden streets, in order to develop photographic ideas as they came out and without thinking to the first day.
I chose to shoot black & white, mainly for one reason: I believe that the black and white images are more akin to the scenario of abandonment and depression that I saw in front of me.
I tried to create an emotional connection between the absence of color and the absence of life and identity of these places.
This choice, together with accompanying text, allowed me to convey my feelings to the viewer: in this sense the accompanying text I use is complementary and the narrative is closed.
I tried as well to focus the viewer's attention on objectsand lines, emphasizing the contrast between the (once animated) country houses and the cement artifact that deprived them of this soul.
Traces of lost identity
I have traveled a road of crisis, abandonment, depression.
In the background, the incumbent and perennial presence of the highway A27, the culprit of the ruin.
I then took inspiration from "Walking the High Line", by Joel Sternfeld", "American Photographs" by Walker Evans, and, especially for the "drifting" approach, from "Uncommon Places" by Stephen Shore.
I collected all the material, reflections and analyzes in my focused page of this learning (b)log, as a support to this Assignment.
As for the three-days mission, I tried to use a "Situationist" approach, according to what I found about this thinking approach while researching on Stephen Shore: in my focused page, Stephen Shore's section, I expanded the research on Situationism and, in particular, on the so called "drift").
On the first day I did a reconnaissance along the original road and took a few test photos, in order to verify if the place was worth the choice.
In the second/third day I dedicated myself to retrace the road meter by meter, making frequent variations of route and choosing hidden streets, in order to develop photographic ideas as they came out and without thinking to the first day.
I chose to shoot black & white, mainly for one reason: I believe that the black and white images are more akin to the scenario of abandonment and depression that I saw in front of me.
I tried to create an emotional connection between the absence of color and the absence of life and identity of these places.
This choice, together with accompanying text, allowed me to convey my feelings to the viewer: in this sense the accompanying text I use is complementary and the narrative is closed.
I tried as well to focus the viewer's attention on objectsand lines, emphasizing the contrast between the (once animated) country houses and the cement artifact that deprived them of this soul.
Traces of lost identity
I have traveled a road of crisis, abandonment, depression.
In the background, the incumbent and perennial presence of the highway A27, the culprit of the ruin.
 |
| Image 1 |
 |
| Image 2 |
The absence of humanity and identity is raised by the open windows of these abandoned or for sale houses.
They are pathetically open and give a glimpse of nothingness, which is expressed by the black hole that is revealed behind the shutters and curtains.
They are pathetically open and give a glimpse of nothingness, which is expressed by the black hole that is revealed behind the shutters and curtains.
 |
| Image 3 |
 |
| Image 4 |
When, beyond an open window, I only see nothing, I have a sense of lack, of loss of place and identity through the assumption of a new identity without a place, totally usurped by abandonment.
 |
| Image 5 |
In a disturbing paradox, the vegetation, instead of trying to enter the abandoned houses, tries to get out and breaks through the locked doors, in a tragic competition with the highway, as if, again, they had usurped houses and steal their identity,
 |
| Image 6 |
 |
| Image 7 |
Windows behind which there is no home, but again, as an obsession, a glimpse of the highway looming.
 |
| Image 8 |
The incessant, ruthless, inexorable presence of the highway means that the artifact has taken the place of human beings.
 |
| Image 9 |
Houses, hotels, kindergartens, lakes, have been invaded by this presence, almost like a tumor that develops and grows from the ground, through buildings and nature.
 |
| Image 10 |
 |
| Image 11 |
 |
| Image 12 |
Restaurants and hotels, once well known and popular, now express nothing but sadness and abandonment, in a dramatic opposition between the desire to attract attention and the desperation of an economy that has faded year after year.
The name of the restaurant "Moses" is tragically comical in combining a biblical escape from an enemy country to that from a valley that is no longer full of opportunities as before.
The name of the restaurant "Moses" is tragically comical in combining a biblical escape from an enemy country to that from a valley that is no longer full of opportunities as before.
 |
| Image 13 |
 |
| Image 14 |
This giant invades our eyes and is reflected on every surface, as if to remind us that our identity has been sacrificed to its presence, determining our inevitable absence.
 |
| Image 15 |
Reflection
Before starting this small journey of 9.5 km, I did not have a clear idea of how I would approach it: would I have driven it by car, methodically stopping and looking around, or would I have walked it?
In solving this dilemma I was helped by research on Stephen Shore, on Situationism and, in particular, on "drifting" (see my focused page, Stephen Shore section). In this way I was able to "wander consciously" and I believe that this helped me to discover places and points of view that, if I had strictly followed the established route, would have been closed to me.
The asylum (image 10, 15), the house and the bridge over the lake (image 2), the "window without a home" (image 8) and other views would not have appeared without this drift.
All the photographs I have collected on the internet both on the subject and on the place, always start from a documentary, journalistic point of view, denouncing the aggression against the nature and aesthetics of the valley.
For this reason the infamous A27 is always in the foreground, to clearly establish that it is the originating problem.
However I found very few images that change the perspective, that put the effect in the foreground and not the cause, except in the case of a striking subject like a closed hotel.
I chose this different perspective, and I put myself on the side of those who, from below, saw this highway that, up there, first reached them, then overwhelmed them and raped their place, stole their identity.
I approached the houses that were abandoned, I saw through and reflected on the windows the highway that ruined everything.
I believe that my approach was creative and allowed me to interpret the scope of this drama more deeply.
Contact Sheet
Formative feedback
Student name
|
Giorgio
Colonna
|
Student number
|
514841
|
Course/Unit
|
Identity
& Place
|
Assignment number
|
5
|
Type of tutorial
|
Written
|
Overall
Comments
Hi Giorgio, I enjoyed looking at your work for
Assignment 5 and also reading your introductory texts. My thoughts &
suggestions are outlined below – just let me know if you have any questions.
Very well done indeed on completing Identity &
Place – a challenging course and one in which you have produced some
interesting and thought-provoking work. Your confidence as a photographer seems
to have grown immensely throughout this course, and you are developing quite a
‘signature style’ in your black & white photography, in particular. Going
forward, I would encourage you to research more widely around each of your
subjects (- examine from a range of perspectives…) and to allow yourself the
time and opportunity to re-shoot, in order to develop and refine the work after
your initial research, shooting and reflection.
I wish you well in your future studies with OCA –
keep in touch and let me know how you get on.
Assessment
potential
I understand your aim is to go for
the Photography Degree and that you plan to submit your work for assessment at
the end of this course. From the work you have shown in this assignment,
providing you commit yourself to the course, I believe you have the potential
to pass at assessment. In order to meet
all the assessment criteria, there are certain areas you will need to focus on,
which I have outlined in my feedback.
Feedback on assignment
·
There are some
terrific (almost ‘cinematic’) images here, so I’m surprised to see your first
choice of image in the Assignment sequence, as this image is not among the
strongest ones(!).
·
I appreciate that it
can be difficult to ‘stand back’ from one’s own photography when involved in
the editing/selecting process, especially when the pictures are still fairly
recent. This is where feedback comes in useful…
·
You currently have
two themes going on in the images. One is the sheer dominance of the highway in
the landscape, leaving the town in its shadow. The other is the blight on the
town as the result of the highway’s arrival. Personally, I feel that for a
project of this size and scope to be effective, you need to focus on one of
these aspects (not both).
·
Try this: print out
all of the images (small workprints are fine). Pick out the following:
o The first image (with no number; currently embedded within your
introduction)
o 2
o 9
o 10
o 11
o 12
o 13
o 15
·
What is the impact,
compared with the existing selection?
·
Return to the
questions in the assignment brief. (I appreciate that you cannot now re-shoot,
but you could instead return to your contact sheets, if necessary).
·
The above referenced
images relate to the concept of the neighbourhood being dwarfed by the highway.
The other approach would be to concentrate on the aforementioned ‘blight’;
which way you take it is completely up to you, of course. Try both, and see.
Coursework
Again, your engagement with
the coursework continues to inform your perspective and your approach to
photography. I was interested to see how, for example, you linked the Perec
piece to Stephen Shore’s work. You’ve worked hard between assignments throughout
the course and I hope you’ll agree that this has been valuable in feeding your
enthusiasm and curiosity for the medium, as well as your knowledge and skills.
Research
I’m really pleased to see that you have gathered
together some of the research that informed your thinking around this
assignment [https://iap514841oca.blogspot.com/p/part-5-assignment-5-research-point.html] as it
shows that you are able to weave practice and research together in a meaningful
way.
Apologies
if I’ve missed it but it would be helpful to see a piece in this section on
your interest in Situationism, too.
Learning Log
·
Please
refer to my comments under this section in your Assignment 3 feedback summary.
·
Very
minor point but remember to apply your critical ‘eye’ to the design of your
learning log itself: Consider reducing the text size and spacing to make for
less scrolling (time consuming for assessors). Make the ‘space’ work for you.
Suggested
reading/viewing
Short piece by Colin Pant all on
sequencing and narrative -
http://colinpantall.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/identifying-story-sequencing-isnt.html
[The following is from my email of 16th
August, so that you have everything all in one place (even though you have
addressed these points…]
One
thing that is not yet quite clear (I had to google it) is the story behind the
abandonment. Did the inhabitants of VL leave gradually or en masse? Were they
told to leave or did it become impossible for them to stay? Do any remain? It
would be good to get some more background information here, if you can -
particularly any first-hand accounts from anyone who lived there. Important not
to overlook the 'identity' aspect - what was it like to live here, in an
'everyday' sense?
Address
which themes from the course have inspired you most in your reflective
commentary. I think it's perfectly acceptable to have a brief introduction as
an intrinsic part of the work (describing the *essence* of the work, similar to
a gallery wall-text) as well as your 500-word written summary (your motivation,
inspirations, method of approach and your reflection). Explain what inspiration
you took from Situationism, too, to show assessors that you know what you're
talking about.
Some
more references:-
· Dorothea
Lange (a contemporary of Walker Evans - they worked together) made a series
called 'Death of a Valley' about the Monticello Dam - this is just one article
on the subject https://www.guernicamag.com/death-of-a-valley/
· It's
very striking how the road has such a dominant physical presence. In an oblique
way it reminds me of a project by a friend of mine - you may be interested -
called, '36 Views of Mount Fuji' by Raoul Ries
· Did
I recommend for you the work by Stephen Polidori called 'After the Flood'? If
not, it may be of interest
· The
central theme of your subject reminds me of a film named 'Leviathan' (2014) by
Aleksey Serebryakov - well-worth seeing even if not directly related to this
work.
I
would also recommend a reading of an essay called 'Safety in Numbness' by David
Campany - it's about 'late' photography, a genre where pictures are not 'of' an
event but rather of the 'trace', after the event.
Summary
Strengths
·
Strong
sense of composition, works well for your choice of B&W
·
Coherency
throughout the series
·
You
have conducted meaningful research (e.g. your interest in Situationism) and
have drawn this into your practice
For Development
o
Decide
on your focus for the work (concept)
o
Revisit
the questions in the assignment brief
o
Remember
that sometimes “less is more”, so if you can get the subject across effectively
in (e.g.) 8 images, that’s all well and good. Make sure that every single image
is bringing something new (but related) to the overall piece.
Tutor name
|
Jayne Taylor
|
Date
|
16/09/2019
|
Next assignment due
|
N/A
|
Reflection on Tutor Report and Rework
Not only was I very happy with my Tutor's feedback, but I also received valuable advice, which guided me to improve my Assignment.
I completely agree with the need to better focus my selection and, as my Tutor states, choose one of the two dominant themes: "...... One is the sheer dominance of the highway in the landscape, leaving the town in its shadow. "" The shadow of the city on the other side. " ..... "(from the feedback of my Tutor).
The incessant, ruthless, inexorable presence of the highway means that the artifact has taken the place of human beings.
All the photographs I have collected on the internet both on the subject and on the place, always start from a documentary, journalistic point of view, denouncing the aggression against the nature and aesthetics of the valley.
For this reason the infamous A27 is always in the foreground, to clearly establish that it is the originating problem.
However I found very few images that change the perspective, that put the effect in the foreground and not the cause, except in the case of a striking subject like a closed hotel.
I chose this different perspective, and I put myself on the side of those who, from below, saw this highway that, up there, first reached them, then overwhelmed them and raped their place, stole their identity.
I approached the houses that were abandoned, I saw through and reflected on the windows the highway that ruined everything.
I believe that my approach was creative and allowed me to interpret the scope of this drama more deeply.
I completely agree with the need to better focus my selection and, as my Tutor states, choose one of the two dominant themes: "...... One is the sheer dominance of the highway in the landscape, leaving the town in its shadow. "" The shadow of the city on the other side. " ..... "(from the feedback of my Tutor).
This advice made me think back to when, while walking and photographing in this three-day photographic mission, I had not yet decided whether the highway would always be present or not in the composition of the photo, at the cost of being repetitive, or if I would have also had to insist on some indirect effects, for example on houses, which have since been abandoned.
The time to make a decision has come and, stimulated by my Tutor, I now believe I have much clearer ideas and I decided to "take a step back" from a selection that focused more on the photos I liked than on consistency.
I therefore decided to focus the whole body of work on the impending, intrusive and haunting presence of the motorway in the reality of this unfortunate valley and to visually manifest it with its presence in nearly every photo.
Introduction
In order to develop Assignment 5, I first reviewed the studybook in search of one or more topics that stimulated my attention and my imagination and I took inspiration from the themes introduced in part 5, project 2, "Places & Spaces", then "Journeys", "Walking", "Home ".
I chose a special place, linked to a story that is both fascinating and dramatic.
Val Lapisina is located in the north east of Italy, in a strip of land that winds through the pre-Alps, between Vittorio Veneto in the south and Belluno in the north.
Today the valley is crossed by two roads: the original "strada del Fadalto" and a modern highway (A27), which make a kind of parallel race between the plain and a pass called Fadalto.
The first-born is a classic two-lane road, modernized in 1955, which kindly and discreetly follows the natural profile of this valley, winding between the base of the mountains, streams and small lakes.
At that time it was the shortest way to reach the province of Belluno, the Dolomites and famous ski resorts, such as Cortina D'Ampezzo, which would then host the 1956 Winter Olympics.
Over the years this road stimulated various initiatives in order to give travelers the chance to stop, refresh and enjoy the splendid panorama of mountains and lakes. All this led to the construction of houses, activities and services along these 9,5 km.
This was a prosperous period, and I remember that when I was a child, my father invariably stopped in this area for lunch or dinner on the road to the mountains.
All this gave the impetus to economic growth in a positive spiral, which induced the local population to concentrate its activities and resources on hotels, restaurants, bars, apartments, recreation and everything that could attract the occasional traveler but also those who wanted to spend their free time and holidays in a quiet and pleasant, genuine, non-demanding and not crowded place.
All this until 1994.
Starting from 1994, a highway was built.
The intention of those who took this decision was to encourage and increase traffic and the economy of the province of Belluno. Moreover this work has always been the basis on which to support proposals for organizing further Olympic Games or Championships or international events, located in the Dolomites.
For the record, Cortina d'Ampezzo will organize the next World Alpine Skiing Championships and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
However this high-speed road not only ruined the valley from an aesthetic point of view, but it also detached travelers from contact with the territory and determined the crisis of all those activities and services that had developed along the original road.
History of a valley, a road and a lost identity
Val Lapisina is located in the north east of Italy, in a strip of land that winds through the pre-Alps, between Vittorio Veneto in the south and Belluno in the north.
Today the valley is crossed by two roads: the original "strada del Fadalto" and a modern highway (A27), which make a kind of parallel race between the plain and a pass called Fadalto.
The first-born is a classic two-lane road, modernized in 1955, which kindly and discreetly follows the natural profile of this valley, winding between the base of the mountains, streams and small lakes.
|
| Map of Val Lapisina and the two roads all the way to Fadalto Pass |
At that time it was the shortest way to reach the province of Belluno, the Dolomites and famous ski resorts, such as Cortina D'Ampezzo, which would then host the 1956 Winter Olympics.
Over the years this road stimulated various initiatives in order to give travelers the chance to stop, refresh and enjoy the splendid panorama of mountains and lakes. All this led to the construction of houses, activities and services along these 9,5 km.
This was a prosperous period, and I remember that when I was a child, my father invariably stopped in this area for lunch or dinner on the road to the mountains.
All this gave the impetus to economic growth in a positive spiral, which induced the local population to concentrate its activities and resources on hotels, restaurants, bars, apartments, recreation and everything that could attract the occasional traveler but also those who wanted to spend their free time and holidays in a quiet and pleasant, genuine, non-demanding and not crowded place.
All this until 1994.
The intention of those who took this decision was to encourage and increase traffic and the economy of the province of Belluno. Moreover this work has always been the basis on which to support proposals for organizing further Olympic Games or Championships or international events, located in the Dolomites.
For the record, Cortina d'Ampezzo will organize the next World Alpine Skiing Championships and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
However this high-speed road not only ruined the valley from an aesthetic point of view, but it also detached travelers from contact with the territory and determined the crisis of all those activities and services that had developed along the original road.
Until 25 years ago, Val Lapisina had its own identity and a reason for its existence, just as its inhabitants had them.
All this was gradually and inexorably upset and economically suffocated since 1994, just as a result of a decision.
The families, who for many years had invested in the hospitality and service economy, gradually, but inexorably, found themselves without clients.
Later young generations left the valley and their parents to look for new possibilities in the provinces of the plain. And when their parents were too old to continue, everything was abandoned to its fate and to the corrosion of time and abandonment.
The families, who for many years had invested in the hospitality and service economy, gradually, but inexorably, found themselves without clients.
Later young generations left the valley and their parents to look for new possibilities in the provinces of the plain. And when their parents were too old to continue, everything was abandoned to its fate and to the corrosion of time and abandonment.
My work
In
order to create a body of work that represents the consequence of this
25-year story, in text together with a small group of photos, I thought
about doing a research on google, reading some books by American
professionals, and a mission on the location for the creation of the photo set.
In some ways the process that I followed is connected to the concept of "late photography", a genre where the photographs do not speak of the event but of the traces left by the event itself. For this reason, as suggested by my Tutor, I referred to an essay called 'Safety in Numbness' by David Campany (https://davidcampany.com/safety-in-numbness/ accessed on 18/8/2019 10 am).
In some ways the process that I followed is connected to the concept of "late photography", a genre where the photographs do not speak of the event but of the traces left by the event itself. For this reason, as suggested by my Tutor, I referred to an essay called 'Safety in Numbness' by David Campany (https://davidcampany.com/safety-in-numbness/ accessed on 18/8/2019 10 am).
As for the research, I
collected historical material and old images in order to understand
more clearly the identity of the place and of the people who first
inhabited it, then abandoned it.
I then took inspiration from "Walking the High Line", by Joel Sternfeld", "American Photographs" by Walker Evans, and, especially for the "drifting" approach, from "Uncommon Places" by Stephen Shore.
I collected all the material, reflections and analyzes in my focused page of this learning (b)log, as a support to this Assignment.
As for the three-days mission, I tried to use a "Situationist" approach, according to what I found about this thinking approach while researching on Stephen Shore: in my focused page, Stephen Shore's section, I expanded the research on Situationism and, in particular, on the so called "drift").
On the first day I did a reconnaissance along the original road and took a few test photos, in order to verify if the place was worth the choice.
In the second/third day I dedicated myself to retrace the road meter by meter, making frequent variations of route and choosing hidden streets, in order to develop photographic ideas as they came out and without thinking to the first day.
I chose to shoot black & white because I believe that the black and white images are more akin to the scenario of abandonment and depression that I saw in front of me, and also recall the violent invasion of gray cement on the colors of nature and of houses in natural stone or colored plaster.
Today it almost seems that all the color has been sucked away by this immense and gray structure, as if a tumor had stolen life from everything that surrounds it.
I tried then to create an emotional connection between the absence of color and the lost life and identity of these places.
This choice, together with accompanying text, allowed me to convey my feelings to the viewer: in this sense the accompanying text I use is complementary and the narrative is closed.
I tried as well to focus the viewer's attention on objectsand lines, emphasizing the contrast between the (once animated) country houses and the cement artifact that deprived them of this soul.
Sucking up identity
I have traveled a road of crisis, abandonment, depression.
In the background, the incumbent and perennial presence of the highway A27, the culprit of the ruin.
I then took inspiration from "Walking the High Line", by Joel Sternfeld", "American Photographs" by Walker Evans, and, especially for the "drifting" approach, from "Uncommon Places" by Stephen Shore.
I collected all the material, reflections and analyzes in my focused page of this learning (b)log, as a support to this Assignment.
As for the three-days mission, I tried to use a "Situationist" approach, according to what I found about this thinking approach while researching on Stephen Shore: in my focused page, Stephen Shore's section, I expanded the research on Situationism and, in particular, on the so called "drift").
On the first day I did a reconnaissance along the original road and took a few test photos, in order to verify if the place was worth the choice.
In the second/third day I dedicated myself to retrace the road meter by meter, making frequent variations of route and choosing hidden streets, in order to develop photographic ideas as they came out and without thinking to the first day.
I chose to shoot black & white because I believe that the black and white images are more akin to the scenario of abandonment and depression that I saw in front of me, and also recall the violent invasion of gray cement on the colors of nature and of houses in natural stone or colored plaster.
Today it almost seems that all the color has been sucked away by this immense and gray structure, as if a tumor had stolen life from everything that surrounds it.
I tried then to create an emotional connection between the absence of color and the lost life and identity of these places.
This choice, together with accompanying text, allowed me to convey my feelings to the viewer: in this sense the accompanying text I use is complementary and the narrative is closed.
I tried as well to focus the viewer's attention on objectsand lines, emphasizing the contrast between the (once animated) country houses and the cement artifact that deprived them of this soul.
Sucking up identity
I have traveled a road of crisis, abandonment, depression.
In the background, the incumbent and perennial presence of the highway A27, the culprit of the ruin.
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| Image 1 |
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| Image 2 |
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| Image 3 |
Houses,
hotels, kindergartens, churchs, lakes, have been invaded by this presence,
almost like a tumor that develops and grows from the ground, through
buildings and nature, sucking up every trace of life and identity.
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| Image 4 |
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| Image 5 |
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| Image 6 |
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| Image 7 |
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| Image 8 |
Restaurants
and hotels, once well known and popular, now express nothing but
sadness and abandonment, in a dramatic opposition between the desire to
attract attention and the desperation of an economy that has faded year
after year.
The name of the restaurant "Moses" is tragically comical in combining a biblical escape from an enemy country to that from a valley that is no longer full of opportunities as before.
The name of the restaurant "Moses" is tragically comical in combining a biblical escape from an enemy country to that from a valley that is no longer full of opportunities as before.
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| Image 9 |
This
giant invades our eyes and is reflected on every surface, as if to
remind us that our identity has been sacrificed to its presence,
determining our inevitable absence.
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| Image 10 |
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| Image 11 |
Reflection
Before
starting this small journey of 9.5 km, I did not have a clear idea of
how I would approach it: would I have driven it by car, methodically
stopping and looking around, or would I have walked it?
In solving this dilemma I was helped by research on Stephen Shore, on Situationism and, in particular, on "drifting" (see my focused page,
Stephen Shore section). In this way I was able to "wander consciously"
and I believe that this helped me to discover places and points of view
that, if I had strictly followed the established route, would have been
closed to me.
The
asylum (image 4, 10), the house and the bridge over the lake (image
2), and other views would not have
appeared without this drift.
All the photographs I have collected on the internet both on the subject and on the place, always start from a documentary, journalistic point of view, denouncing the aggression against the nature and aesthetics of the valley.
For this reason the infamous A27 is always in the foreground, to clearly establish that it is the originating problem.
However I found very few images that change the perspective, that put the effect in the foreground and not the cause, except in the case of a striking subject like a closed hotel.
I chose this different perspective, and I put myself on the side of those who, from below, saw this highway that, up there, first reached them, then overwhelmed them and raped their place, stole their identity.
I approached the houses that were abandoned, I saw through and reflected on the windows the highway that ruined everything.
I believe that my approach was creative and allowed me to interpret the scope of this drama more deeply.