L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 4 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS ists who have been inspired by their native homeland, from the late Enzo Sellerio to his contem- poraries like Pier Ferdinando Scianna and Letizia Battaglia, w ho all depicted everything from the harsh realities of organ- ised crime, to the ancient belief s ys tems and traditions of la Sicilia. The humanistic style of Mae- stro Leone is what makes his work stand out from other Sicil- ian photographers, his attention to the people, their personality and their stories is the strength of his visual narrative. Leone depicts ancient mestieri, or crafts, which have been lost, the archeology left behind from past invaders, age- less rites and celebrations, the children and women who inhabit squares and countryside villages, together with famous writers, all creating the true character of Sicily. I recently asked the mae- stro about his unique relation- ship with Sicily in an inter- view. I began by asking him to describe his connection to the island: I was born in Sicily, where I have always lived, I explored and studied every single aspect of it, from anthropology and landscape to architecture. I was bewitched by its beauty, by the diversity at its essence, which s haped it, by the inevitable changes and transformation this land has been witnessing for centuries. Understanding Sicily means observing even its incon- sistencies and contradictions: this means love for Sicily is never absolute, it is sometimes filled with suffering and resent- ment. Mine is a kind of constant love/hate, yet, conscious of its absurdities and of its beauty, I never wanted to abandon this place. You have been a photogra- pher of Sicily for more than sixty years, how did your cre- ative journey begin? What's your approach to to the art of photography? I began by chance in a photo- graphic studio, I was thirteen years old and from that day I never abandoned photography. With my first camera, I observed the world that surrounded me, bewitching me with its most intimate aspects. I slowly began to immortalise the changing times that were transforming Sicily. Photography allowed me to p robe into the intimate essence of things and to show beauty without creating fictions or filters, which could distort reality. From the moment of the photo shoot until the develop- ment of the print in the dark room, I always wanted to give a concrete contribution to the observation of society, always trying to narrate with poetry and beauty, rather than with pathos or pity. Interpreting the negative, as if it was a musical score, I always looked for harmony. You have an infinite num- ber of images, is there one favorite which comes to mind w ith a p articu lar s tory or memory? With the passing of the years, my body of photographic works grew and continues to grow even today. Many of these pho- tographs became part of literary publications, in some of these I told the history of my land, of its people and celebrations: a visual diary. Each of these photos and of thes e books could be described as my children, and so it is difficult for me to make a precise decision. Anyhow, if I had to absolutely choose from my published works, I'd defi- nitely pick the book La Pietra Vissuta, which will always hold a special place in my heart. It was one of the first books I pub- lished with the publisher, Selle- rio, which allowed me to meet S cias cia and all the other "friends" who gave me a great opportunity of artistic exchange and growth. Is there a particular time of the year, aspect or subject about Sicily you like to photo- grap h more th an an yth in g else? If you could depict Sicily in a single image, how would you? In reality there isn't a precise period, every season in Sicily creates its own unique beauty. Sicily is as multifaceted as it is Sicily through the lenses of a maestro eclectic and varied, Bufalino said, there isn't only one Sicily, there are hundreds, and each has its own particular and suggestive beauty. I would dare to say that Sicily could be compared to the image of a woman's body, sinuous and sensual, that lets her beauty s hine through, w ithout any makeup, showing just the way she is. Sicily has literally changed before your lenses, tell us a lit- tle about its transformation. Transformations in history are necessary, every thing and every place is subject to the flow of time and change; however in Sicily we had great changes, many of which have been radi- cal. The landscape has been upset by the hand of man, which has not always been so benevo- lent. In the course of my career, I have seen a quick and inex- orable transformation, caused above all by globalization: because of this, we risk to loose our identity, our roots and the particular characteristics that made us and our land a world rich and varied in traditions. The debate is truly complex and dif- ficult to sum up in a few words. Unfortunately, it is clear part of the responsibility lies in the hands of certain political and administrative choices, which worsened the situation. Your photography has been compared to an ongoing nar- rative, how do you think writ- ing and images are interrelat- ed? In reality, it doesn't come from a well defined structure or plan: photography is a way of interpreting reality and, as such, it is a story told through images. Sicily gave birth to many great writers from Pirandello to Scias- cia, from Bufalino to Consolo, who all left a well defined sign of what Sicily represents: their words became a metaphor of the essence of history and society. They became pillars of Italian culture, just think of Verga: he, too, was a writer and photogra- pher, father of Italian realism - or Verismo - a stark, even raw, at times , look into reality. Throughout the years, I have always drawn from literature: it allowed me to have a polished eye and conscious knowledge of what surrounds me and of the history of which we are a part. For me photography itself is very closely related to writing, it allows me to interpret every- thing I s ee and hear and to describe everything through images. Every shot essentially becomes an es s ay about my observations. The term Sicilitudine was coined by Leonardo Sciascia, as a way of describing the illu- sive character of Sicily. What definition of Sicilitudine have you given through your mas- terpieces? Sciascia was one of the last great narrators, his ability to interpret Sicily and the Sicilians in his books was lucid and pre- cise. Like Sciascia, I don't offer solutions, nor I like giving defin- itions. I prefer to observe this land, often shaken by social changes, individualism, loss of identity, by the transformation of ethnic culture into a flattened, globalized life. My photographs are elements that document and narrate Sicily in all of its varied aspects. Like a musical score, I prefer to interpret my images, telling of a world in continuous mutation, as everything is changing. Continued from page 1 Leone depicts ancient mestieri, or craft, some of which have been lost. © Giuseppe Leone The attention to people and their personality is the true strength of Leone's visual narrative. © Giuseppe Leone

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