L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 9 Passion for photography and art is something that can devel- op during somebody's life in a totally unexpected way. Or it can be the result of a very spe- cial moment. This is the case for Vittoria Zupicich, an Italian photographer born in Umbria, now living in San Francisco. W h i l e h e r s t o r y m a y s o u n d familiar to many others where inspiration comes from a parent during childhood, Vittoria's love f o r p h o t o g r a p h y b e c a m e a choice for life only later on, when she had to make a decision about her future. What took you close to art and photography? My dad had a crucial role in this sense. I remember him col- l e c t i n g d r a w i n g s , p a i n t i n g s , monographs, and catalogs for art exhibits that he had attended both in Italy and worldwide. When I was young, he used to take me to exhibitions and talk about art and painting as a way to tell the story of humanity, and the evolution of society in the most intimate and genuine way. One of his quotes I best remem- ber is: " Art, like religion, can open your soul if you believe in it." Can you think of a turning point in your life? B y t h e a g e o f f i v e , I h a d developed some problems with my leg and, for several months, I could not spend much time on my feet. While forced to stay at home, I started painting and d r a w i n g , f i r s t o n p a p e r , o n pieces of cardboard, on walls, on tables around the house, and even on the balcony floor using chalks. This way, I did not have to move while colouring the world around me. But, often at night, my mom would catch me secretly moving around in my room. These events clarify what I wanted to do in life: make art and keep moving. These two passions led me to travel the world, always hungry of new cultural experiences that inspire my work. Living in Italy helped culti- vate this passion… This is true in the way I could attend the Accademia delle Belle Arti Pietro Vannucci in Perugia a n d s p e n d h o u r s i n t h e d a r k room. It made me appreciate the work behind both a beautiful picture and the poetry in the deepest black and the purest white of B&W photography. My artworks combine photography and painting, creating a coexis- tence of reality and surrealism. Only later on, I decided to focus on photography: this gave me a different approach in visual art, preserving images that captured my attention and got stuck in my mind all day. W h y d i d y o u m a k e t h e c h o i c e o f m o v i n g t o S a n Francisco? I decided to come and study here after visiting the city in 2009 for a month. I got fascinat- ed by people's life style, the facilities the school was offer- ing, and the international envi- ronment. All inspired my curios- ity and made me think this was the place where to start building my career. After trying different styles of photography as well as different subject matters and approaches, my Master at the Academy of Art helped shape my interest for architectural and interior design photography: it reflects my natural tendency to l o o k f o r v i s u a l o r d e r i n t h e world and my love to share the idea of architecture as a usable art. Between People and archi- t e c t u r e : w h a t i n s p i r e d t h e exhibit? I decided to call my project this way because I wanted to show how architectural space is where people move and interact with the architectural design. I get inspired from small details of everyday's life, which will m a k e t h e v i e w e r f e e l o v e r - whelmed by the sheer density of art: this is what I want others to see through my photos. Can you identify elements which make the exhibit unique or special? Looking at my shots, you will see how the lines, the graphic elements, the reflective materi- als, and the dynamic forms of modern architecture produce intriguing compositions, captur- ing the eye and showing archi- tecture in a new and unexpected way. For my show installation, I opted for the so-called salon style: this opulent method of hanging pictures comes from French Salons where the art filled the halls all the way up to the ceiling. The tight arrange- ment of frames covering most of the surface of the wall lets me display more artworks in the space and gives an overview of the entire project that started about three years ago. What's your next step? I would like to expand my portfolio and show a variety of architecture and interior shots to potential clients. So far, I had a great opportunity to photograph offices of Square and Lyft. I really want to develop relation- ships with all those architects able to push boundaries and por- trait their visions through my photos. B e t w e e n P e o p l e a n d A r c h i t e c t u r e o p e n s M a y 1 s t through May 31st at 625 Gallery ( 6 2 5 S u t t e r S t r e e t S a n Francisco) Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm. The opening reception will be Thursday, May 7 from 5.30pm-7.30pm. The exhibition explores the way architecture interacts with people Vittoria Zupicich Between People and architecture: Vittoria Zupicich and her vision of architecture as a usable art SERENA PERFETTO

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