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Artist of the Month - Alessandro Pollio
2 years ago
- what was the first photography book you bought?
I think it is ‘Lost Angeles’ by Paul Jasmin. I found it by chance in a second-hand bookstore and immediately connected with the intimacy of the portraits and that incredible quality of light. The paper dust jacket was damaged so I had to remove it, which makes the book even more intimate and remarkable: a bare linen hardcover which reveals, once opened, a warm Californian dream.
- what is your favourite colour?
I don’t have a favourite one. Interestingly, my grandfather could only see black and white due to a color deficiency. Because this condition runs in my family, I have difficulty discerning certain frequencies. Thus, I cherish all colors and celebrate every single hue in my work.
- who are your photographic influences?
There are so many, each for a different reason, and they keep evolving. In that regard, I think Wolfgang Tillmans' work is really noteworthy. His work never stagnates, and it has a contemporary, unmistakable feel.
- what is your favourite museum?
In terms of today's pick, I would choose the Tate Modern, for its superb and diverse curation. On a smaller scale, there is Castello di Rivoli or Canova's Gypsotheca, which really transports me to a different world and inspired my work ‘Body Latitudes’.
- if you could buy any photograph which would it be?
‘Dan’ by Wolfgang Tillmans.
- your favourite holiday destination?
Capri and the Amalfi Coast. I go back to my roots almost every year, and it is an incredible experience every time. The hanging cities, the dramatic cliffs, the smell of tomato leaf and fig in the air, I've never found such a powerful combination of factors anywhere else so far, and I keep uncovering new layers of beauty summer after summer.
- if there is one living person you could photograph who would it be?
Since we are on Boys! Boys! Boys! I would say Nacho Penin, he has such beautiful body lines.
- what is your guilty pleasure?
A combo of late night talk-shows with impressions and fail videos on YouTube.
- what is your favourite city?
Although I don’t have one, if I dream of a long-term escape, I imagine Paris or Vienna. While both have a bygone charm reminiscent of the Belle Époque time, they are also incredibly contemporary.
- which charities do you support?
I support scientific research through many channels as I believe it is the first step to change.
