INTERVIEW WITH:
SIMONA VACCARO
Cluster gets to grips with nudity, intersectional feminism and body related taboos with Sicilian photographer Simona Vaccaro.
Her photographic style invokes a kind of familiar sensuality coupled with a rare and inescapable honesty reminiscent of the most treasured and bizarre home photo album.
Simona pulls no punches as she deconstructs the patriarchal dominance of the male gaze and attempts to radically reframe our perceptions around the female body. She says photography has the power to shape and influence culture and convey ideas of inclusion, acceptance and openness. We also dig deep on the importance of physical connection and her love of 35mm analogue film.
All this and more from one of Italy’s most exciting new talents.
Body, Concrete, Diaphanous, Dissolves.
From the series Empty Spaces
Hi Simona. To begin we’d like to talk about your photoshoot Empty Spaces. We love the playful composition and use of vivid light. Tell us more about it...
That series was exactly one year ago. It was a sunny day in Rome and I was with my friend Milla. I remember my roll of film was running out so to keep it simple we just went to the terrace of her flat to take some photos. The terrace inspired me a lot, it’s one of those classic big Roman terraces - empty and beautiful. There we found an unusual building, like a small house, and I immediately had this vision of Milla climbing into the crack of the hovel. I wanted to emphasise the idea of an empty space in which she was trapped. I like how the series expresses different aspects of Mila’s interaction with the place; she is lost and alone but also kind of amused.
Nudity appears frequently in your work, particularly representations of the female body. What does nakedness mean to you and what messages does it allow you to communicate?
Nudity is a central feature of my work. I use it to express the physical body or even as a metaphor for freedom. The freedom to express oneself in any possible way. I care a lot about the body and in my own small way I try to send a positive message. Here’s the thing, in our society the body is hyper-sexualised and this often creates misunderstandings. We are surrounded by sexual messages, sex is everywhere. Yet when we talk about sex we do so either as a means to an end or in an excessively prudish way, thus depriving it of its legitimacy and instilling taboos. The result is that the body has become pornographic in and of itself and something to be ashamed of. In truth, a body is just a body and does not in itself send any sexual message, unless the person who inhabits it sexualises it consciously and with intention. Problems arise when it is the observer who sexualises the body. This has to do with our social education and a rape culture that attempts to sexualise all bodies, even bodies performing everyday actions or appearing in photographs. This culture is heavily mirrored in our Social Networks, virtual spaces for exposure and promotion of the self via the body. People dealing with body-related issues have to navigate around policies that limit our freedom of expression on a daily basis. My goal is to normalise the nudity of all bodies.
from the series Empty Spaces
Hidden in plain sight, Self Portrit
Contact
Human contact seems like an important issue right now and it crops up a lot in your work. People are suffering from a lack of physical contact and are increasingly moving towards online connections. Can you express a true sense of connection through photography?
I believe deeply in the power of photography. I am convinced that it is the best medium to help us find true connection. It allows us to represent ourselves as we would like to be represented and to communicate messages. This means it comes with responsibility, having the power to shape and influence culture. If we can convey ideas of inclusion, acceptance and openness then this can only be of benefit to all. Also, I believe that before establishing contact with others we should all work on deepening contact with ourselves.If we are not able to be sincere with ourselves we cannot create a relationship of trust with someone else, let alone make a connection. Lack of confidence creates fragile bonds that are reflected in envy and cynicism towards others. Through exploration of our own limits and defects we can look at the world with different eyes, becoming more open and compassionate.
Untitled
Through your photographs you try to raise awareness of a culture of consent and respect. In defending women's freedoms you challenge the societal norm of sexual discrimination. Where do you find the courage to take on such a huge issue?
Being a woman I am sensitive to the feminist cause, with an awareness of how my life is different from the life of a man in terms of equality and freedom. When I realised that my own head was setting limits on how I could be and what I could do, I understood that this was not just my personal insecurity but also a wider societal prejudice coming from a male-dominated society. One that would prefer me to be demure and mindless. Since I was a little girl I expressed myself through my image and my body: I took pictures, made videos and danced. I was inspired by a book on the art of self-portraiture written by C. De Gregorio and here I discovered female artists such as Francesca Woodman who were using their own image as a form of expression and rebellion. From then I started to portray myself naked, I had a need for contact and wanted to explore my own body, but I kept those photos for myself. Time passed and I went through some personal challenges that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I stopped caring about judgement and instead I started fighting against the system that had made me so dependent on male consent. Rape culture is all around us. It hides in our everyday gestures and words, and I feel we need to talk about it and fight it in a concrete way. Going forward, we need to open up to an intersectional feminism that not only contests male violence against women, but challenges the broader perspective of gender-based violence.
How have you adapted your creative practise during this topsy-turvy year?
2020 started out great with an invitation to participate in Cluster Photography & Print Fair. This was an important moment for me as I started to believe in my potential as a photographer, making a personal commitment to this creative journey. When I returned to Italy everything changed within a couple of days and I had to put some projects on hold. I tried to view the lockdown as an opportunity to learn new things and create with alternative mediums. Using the time as a period of reflection and discovery, I tried to embrace the inherent frustrations; I started making videos with an old camera that has been in the family for years. Video is a medium that helps me to express my inner impulses and turn them into movement, something you can’t do in the stillness of photography.
I also bought a chemistry development kit and began experimenting with processing camera roll at home. That’s something I’ve wanted to learn for a long time; I spent hours reading and watching video tutorials and in the end I got it! The results were good but I realised that to properly set up on your own you also need to shoot a lot of film and have lots of time available for developing.
From the series Granada
“I love my solitude. Don't get me wrong, I love being out in the world, but I also need some time to stay alone with myself. I appreciate my own company. I need to reflect, to be inspired.”
From the Series Sisters
You like to work with friends and family as models in your shoots and the intimacy this creates is clear to see. How could you achieve the same closeness when working with models you don't personally know?
In this profession establishing a connection with the people you are photographing is a sign of professionalism and humanity. So when it comes to shooting with people I don’t know I try to have a personal approach, maybe have a chat over a beer before the shoot. You need empathy and respect for the other person and being in tune with them certainly plays a big part. If you find common ground with your subject it is much easier to communicate with each other and then express that through the photography.
You shoot in 35mm. Why choose analogue over digital as your preferred medium?
I started using 35mm two years ago, intrigued by a world I didn't know. It had so much to offer that I‘ve never been able to go back to digital! I think what struck me about analogue photography is the unpredictability. I also love the mechanics of old cameras and the way you experience them, the sound of the click is so satisfying. It's a completely different way to approach photography, one I’d describe as a process; from choosing and buying the camera roll, to taking the shot and waiting for the results. With analogue film there’s a limit on the number of shots for each roll, this forces you to refine your practice and also makes post-production unnecessary. I knew right away that this was the best medium through which I could express myself.
Pieces of me, 2019
Your shots convey an unprejudiced, free and relaxed relationship with the body. Does it come naturally or have you had to work to develop this style?
Like all challenges it was difficult and it took time for me to work on myself, starting with the emotional sphere and then the physical. As a young girl I lived in a village where authenticity can be a winding road to take. Although I didn't understand it I felt insecure about myself and my appearance. Even after moving to the city in Palermo I still didn't find a place that encouraged my free expression. At high school the environment was elitist and at first I did not feel accepted. Over time I adapted to survive but I was never able to truly express myself. It was only when I moved to Rome that I found myself and I began to value my passions, my thoughts, and to accept my flaws. Of course, the journey here has been difficult too; there have been many pitfalls but without them I could never be who I am. My inner growth has gone hand in hand with my photographic evolution. It is still an ongoing journey because we are always moving - every day I change and every day I learn to observe myself.
Contact
EMOTIONS, 2020
There’s a performative aspect to some of your photos that invokes Body Art work. What’s your take on this artistic trend and has it influenced you in any way?
As a student and lover of art history, particularly contemporary art, the Body Art movement has affected and influenced me a lot, but to begin with this was mostly on a subconscious level. It was thanks to my first self-portrait that I began to believe in the expressive power of the body through photography. This was born out of a need to express a strong sense of loss and frustration. In order to release these emotions I smashed glass bottles into tiny pieces and this act became part of the photographic series Pieces Of Me. Of course it can’t be called performance work because there was no audience and nothing was filmed, but I now realise there was a performative aspect to the process that led to the shoot. Over time I've learned to be more aware of the creative process. It helps to look at performance artists like Marina Abramović, Bruce Nauman, Peter Campus, Vito Acconci and even Yves Klein. Just this summer I made photographs where I smeared red mulberry juice on my body, reminding me of Klein's models with their skin covered with blue paint.
From the series Me With Nature
You were born in Sicily, a region that boasts a history of courageous and rebellious women. Has this cultural heritage helped you to shape a strong personality and determined character?
I am my land. Being Sicilian is a mixture of odi et amo (love and hate); we know our heritage and can't avoid loving and despising it at the same time. Sicily has an extraordinary historical, artistic and cultural heritage, especially Palermo where I grew up. This city taught me the value of diversity because it was born and developed under many cultures. I think we would not be sincere with ourselves and the people around us if we did not also admit the flaws that stain our land. As early as primary school we were taught what the Mafia was, and above all who was fighting it on the front line. Figures like Rita Borsellino, Nino Di Matteo and judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino have helped shape my inner fight and sense of justice. And I must also mention the spirit of the great photographer Letizia Battaglia who has profoundly influenced me. She was the first female photojournalist working in Italy for a newspaper with the strength to juggle a patriarchal world and a macho society. Through her work she fought loudly against the Mafia in the years when it was not even being talked about. As Ferdinando Scianna says, being Sicilian is something you carry with you wherever you go.
What are your plans for the future?
At the moment my only goal is graduation. After that there will be some changes to deal with and I definitely want to focus on my photographic work and integrate it with a more present activism. As for the rest, I am open to all possibilities, waiting to find a path...or for it to find me.
Thank you for reading,
Valeria, Daniel & Cluster Team.