THE BIRTH OF A WORK BY CARAVAGGIO IN CUCINA. As a photographer, many assume that I press the button atop my camera and with a fateful click… the work is done. Absolutely not! First, I travel from Milan to my operational headquarters in Sant’Ippolito, a quaint village located on the long and sinuous hills of the Marche region. Having earned the trust and the friendship of the local residents, I invade their gardens, with their permission, and also with a dose of unjustified trepidation. In these gardens, I collect the seasonal produce that will then compose my works. This operation is very delicate. First because I “entered the home of others” and also because the selection must not be based on the quantity, but on the appearance of each individual piece of produce. Having found what I want, I return home and position the infamous wooden planks, now worn by time and weather, that embody the photographic set of my works. This is when I place the chosen subject on the set and start observing it carefully, centimeter by centimeter. Once the best “profile” is found, I go to the “room of wonders”: two walls covered by shelves loaded with accessories and antique pottery that orbit around the Italian gastronomy, in search of a complement to the composition in progress. Whether I find it or not, I frame the “star of the show” with the camera positioned on the tripod and connected with a cable to my MacBook. Using the B setting for long exposure and a very closed diaphragm, I darken the surrounding area, open the shutter with the Mac and turn on a small flashlight. With quick strokes, I try to illuminate the appropriate areas creating the chiaroscuri that characterize my works. These exposures take between approximately 30 to 150 seconds, depending on the subject. Shortly after, I view the first shot directly on the monitor, I analyze it to correct any exposures until I obtain the one that satisfies me. Once I have the result I am looking for with the digital system, I check brightness and contrast and reframe the subject if adjustments are needed. I return to Milan and, using my Plotter, I print on fine-art-canvas the works that I have created. After waiting 24 hours to insure that the ink is dry, with the help of a large paintbrush, I apply a clear satin varnish in order to protect the printed canvas. I intentionally leave visible brush strokes in order to give the impression of looking at a painting and not a photograph. I then take the canvas to a craftsman who dresses them with the appropriate frame and finally I apply a black trimming to crown the work. This is when I can finally say “The work is finished!”
