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photo montage
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These "compositions",
as Fabrizio Fiorenzano prefers to define the result of his work, find an illustrious predecessor in the history of figurative arts in the photo montage, that shows an image obtained at shoot-time or print-time by patching together
various images in different ways; a practice that has been around since the early
days of photography and is still in use today where it is used to expressive purposes.
The most famous artist in this field that we have record of was John Heartfield (1891-1968),
author of a large number of satyric works targeting the German Nazi government, made in collaboration
with George Grosz who also helped found and support the Berlin Dada group of artists, around the end of the '10s during the last century. One of the most well-known works by John Heartfield, entitled "Once during the Middle Ages, so now under the III Reich" shows a man crucified on a swastika. Today's skillful usage of the computer as employed by Fabrizio Fiorenzano, who uses it to put together the pictures he chooses for his compositions and given to him from Giovanni Ratta or from other parts, makes the old photo montage
technique appear like a tender old relative who, after having started a path
with an idea and then walked it for a good distance, generously enables us
to continue walking it by different means. Indeed, the results achievable
through electronics are amazing for number of colours, infinitely adjustable shades,
transparent veils, number of usable backgrounds, available filters, range of effects
and much more - all tools that are not available in the darkroom and that can be
precisely applied at each instance, without the unpredictability of chemicals.
Fascinating world of possibilites in which creativity, talent, emotion and synthetical
skills get along perfectly with intelligence, reflection, technique and play. The result of
Fabrizio's work appears consolidated by now, and if we abandon ourselves to the
reading of his works packed with atmosphere and deep tension in regards to the
inequality of the world, the woman's condition in third world countries and the
obtuseness of wars, as well as beauty, nature, abstractions, dream and contradictions,
then we can enjoy the enchanted birth of an "image of images" which allows us to raise
our awareness and communicate without words.
Luciano D’Alessandro (Photographer)
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