MASSIMO SIRAGUSA

I started taking pictures after my high school diploma, during my university studies, but I decided to turn the passion into a profession only later. Before photographing I managed a bookstore / gallery specialized in art books and photography in Catania, my hometown.

I have not done specific studies in photography. All my photography training has been self-taught, reading a lot and studying the work of others photographers. I've been teaching for over 20 years now. I started in an art school in Catania where I was taking general photography courses, as a subject complementary to painting and drawing courses. Then, with the assignment at the IED university in Rome and in other private schools, I decided to hold courses closer to mine aptitudes. Now I teach documentary photography, urban landscape, corporate and industrial photography.

My work starts from the analysis of the territory, from the transformations impressed by the human being, and from the analysis of the social and cultural changes of our epoch. My photographic style of reference is, certainly, the documentary style.

There is no precise rule that makes me choose one place rather than another. The choice of a place to photograph depends on the elements of the territory or the social dynamics that I want to analyze from time to time.

I really love photographing cities to highlight the relationships between different architectures and periods and to analyze the changes and the transformations of the urban fabric. Every little sign is important to me present on the territory - even a torn poster or a barrier put provisionally to delimit an area - which are useful indicators for understanding and know a place.

Every photograph has its own story. I would say almost an autonomous, different life from that of all the others. I find it very difficult to choose a particular anecdote among the thousand stories that my work gave me the opportunity to live.

I used to take pictures in Italy because I am interested in analyzing the transformation of the landscape in our territory. Although, particularly in recent years, I feel the need to find different visual stimuli and surprises. This is why I am planning a series of jobs to be done abroad.

Telling our life, who we are and where we want to go, starting from our history and from what we have been able to build over time. That’s more than one message, I would say an attitude.

There are many photographers that I have had as a reference over the years. Between Italians I would give the first place to Luigi Ghirri. Among foreigners, I would say Stephen Shore and William Eggleston. On Yellowkorner I love the Vintage series by Jacques Tati and Colorama.