Echoing Silence

It is often said that photography is about capturing souls and not smiles. “We are one!” believes Italian artiste, Attilio Tripodi who makes one introspect and visualize landscapes and human emotions in a new way as one takes a walk through his photography exhibition titled, ‘Temporary Solitudes’ at Indian International Centre (IIC) fromJuly 6-16, 11 am to 7pm in the national Capital.

“We share our lives with those around us, through our thoughts, actions and emotions as human nature drives us to be sociable. We are connected to each other. We have more or less consolidated our material reality, but we are not often aware of our inner spiritual nature or worse, we deny it,” says Tripodi pointing towards one of his captures.

 One would witness lines, colours and graphic elements synced in such a way that enhances the ability of an image to communicate. There are around 50 photographs captured in different countries. Also, you will mark only one person in every picture with prevailing landscapes and various angles to rouse emotions.

‘Temporary Solitudes’ is my humble gaze of a fragment of humanity. I feel that I am a part of it. I am conscious of the invisible thread that connects the whole of humanity, and that whenever a person gets in the way of its evolution, the benefit is collective. 

I do not wish to disseminate any message but only interpret things and sounds that surround me with a tool called photography. While selecting images for the exhibition, I preferred the ones that matched my aesthetic sense - lines, shapes, and textures can be seen in all my photos.

I always prefer ‘human landscapes’ in my photographs, an innate vision. I like to photograph people immersed in their daily lives, as I too am a part of it and especially because in my journey of inner and spiritual growth, I have learned that we are all connected to each other. I imagined that the protagonists of my photos deliberately seek the solitude required to create a contact with one’s own soul, a necessary prelude to begin a process of growth of evolution.

Capturing expressions, joy, smiles, awkwardness, signs of aging that draw and redraw faces of different people excite me. I love watching people and capturing them. It paves a way to see myself, through this endless game of mirrors that is life.

It took me a year and a half to focus on this concept. The images came in a spontaneous and natural way. There were no such challenges, everything just fell in place. I also found some photos taken a few years ago that very well amalgamated with the other photos of the collection as they in sync with its aesthetic expression.

My photos usually express liveliness through colours. For ‘Temporary Solitudes’, I preferred using monochrome as it connects to the theme which is meditative and intimate. The images express a feeling of vitality which unites them, that perhaps have a tinge of melancholy but never sad. I preferred minimal shots without any disturbing elements to accentuate the introspective aspect.

 It is not very different from my previous works. As the Talmud (central text of Rabbinic Judaism) states, “We do not see things as they are, but we see things as we are,” I believe it affirms the uniqueness of each person, despite the similarities. 

Currently, I’m working on a completely different collection, dedicated to symbols and contradictions of human nature, without moralizing or judging, with a touch of vibrant creativity. Photography is an art and art is a dynamic concept, always moving, never static.