“Through photography I simply try to bring into focus all the natural aspects of the situations that capture my attention. Choosing the use of the film and consequently avoiding the editing are for the purpose of not creating false stereotypes and reveal people and things as they really are.”
Italian advertising graphic designer and photographer Roberto Gramostini speaks to us about the context of his curiosity for the world and him taking images and and his upcoming project that is about looking for love and trust.
Tell us about the moment in your life when your interest and passion in photography was born.
My introduction to photography dates back to my adolescence. If I go back with my memory the very first approach to photography was with an analogic camera and because of graffiti. Since I was 14, I have always had a strong interest in the world of writing and when I started to draw graffiti I used to take pictures of what I drew. This was possible thanks to my lovely father’s camera, and now there is not a day I go out without it. It is a Yashika T5. The strong passion was reborn again a second time, when I was 20, after high school. Starting from small and simple daily things, also my curiosity and attention to images and the world have grown stronger. For this reason I think I started to transform this feeling and curiosity into something more consistent that I didn’t want to keep only for myself anymore.
“My preference goes to the analogic photography because I definitely love the total absence of photo editing: the result is “dirtier” but much more “pure and true”.“ Is a quote by you. I think that in general there is a strong search for „pure truth“ of the world and life these days which is shown in trends such as analogue etc. Do you use your art for this sort of search?
Through photography I simply try to bring into focus all the natural aspects of the situations that capture my attention. Choosing the use of the film and consequently avoiding the editing are for the purpose of not creating false stereotypes and reveal people and things as they really are.
“I am a person who’s deeply in love with life in every second. But I am also terrified of death and by the idea of being separated from the people I care of. I think that unconsciously this might be one of the reasons that encouraged me to get a camera and start doing what I do.”
Not all your projects have a specific purpose; however you like to sometimes work with a concept to stimulate the viewer. Can you tell us something about your upcoming project “friendly fur“?
Friendly fur is a portraits’ collection I began about a year ago and I’m still working on it. It’s a project that I started in a period in which I was particularly intrigued by the relationship and affection that can grow between a person and a pet (as a dog). I have to admit, that I never had a dog and even though I love animals very much I’m not one of those animal rights fanatics as it seems to be a bit in vogue nowadays. Finding out how similar we are and constantly looking for love and trust lead me to realize these portraits that I’m planning to post on my website soon.
Your idols within the world of photography?
I love Torbjorn Rodland, Wolfgang Tillmans, Michael Wolf and many others..
The best advice you would give to your young-self ten years ago?
I’m not old and wise enough to allow myself to give advices but I surely have two words that describe myself perfectly and it´s: “keep trying”…
What are you moral views for life?
I am a person who’s deeply in love with life in every second. But I am also terrified of death and by the idea of being separated from the people I care of. I think that unconsciously this might be one of the reasons that encouraged me to get a camera and start doing what I do. During my life I always had people who were playing an important key role in my life; people who I share a daily relationship with, people that were only passing through or people I only shot on the street for a minute. Little by little I realized that the relationships with people have a crucial role in everyone’s life, each person carries a wealth of experiences or something to tell and to share with someone else. And for me these relationships are what gives value to my life. Especially, I would like to thank the girl I find by my side every morning when I wake up. She’s the one that for years has given sense to each of my days and she’s my number one supporter. She is literally a piece of me I would never want to be apart from. My parents and my friends have an endless importance in my life and I often bother them for the shots. I love people who I consider part of my life and there’s nothing more important to me.
www.robertogramostini.it
