by  Yvette Depaepe

Alessandro Gallo  excels in most inspiring architectural images and urban scapes.  His photographic vision is the result of personal research.  Alessandro never sets himself limits about what will captivate him in the future and always tries to find new motivations to express his vision of reality.

Enjoy this interview and discover more about the artist behind his work.
 

Please briefly tell us about yourself, your hobbies and other jobs, Alessandro
I live and work in Milan, in chemical industry sector. I dedicate my free time mainly to photography, which is more than a passion, but I also like travelling, visiting art exhibitions and gallery (not only for photography), listening to good music, and collecting robot models.

“Optimist VS Pessimist”

How has your history and life experiences affected your photography?
My interest for photography started when I was a boy, but, for different reasons, I could not follow it until recent years. I studied, looked, read, listened ... and started exploring the places around me with different eyes. The urban landscape, with its architecture and environment, have always been an object of interest for me, and through my images I try to represent my vision of reality.

“Red & Black”

“Light and shadow”

What first attracted you to photography?
The possibility of expressing something (a vision, a concept, a response) that I could not communicate with other means.

“I miss you”

Describe your overall photographic vision.
My photographic vision is the result of a personal research.
The summary is represented by the images, I could not describe it in words.
I don't set myself limits about what might interest me tomorrow and I always try to find new motivations, without which I would stop photographing.

Why are you so drawn by Abstract & Architecture Photography?
Many of my pictures have to do with architecture, because this offers to me the opportunity to explore places and, through them, giving concrete shape to my thoughts. In many cases, I use abstraction as a form of “reduction”, which leave open interpretations to the viewer.
In other cases, with my other projects, I like to depict urban landscape to tell the story of a place, or to describe the changes caused by time or man.

“Waves”

“urban abstraction”

“the choice”

What generally is your relationship to your subject matter beyond being an observer?
I try to find my own personal interpretation, even for subjects that may have already been represented by others.

“separation degrees”

Do you prepare carefully the locations where you are intending to photograph?
At the beginning, not necessarily. Very often I let myself be guided by instinct and desire to photograph, so every place could be good to capture some good image.
Today I tend to study a place well before visiting it, and understand if I really care about representing it and how.
In any case, wherever I am, whether it's a business or pleasure trip, I try not to miss a photo that is worth to be captured.

“Lines”

“parallel”

What is your most important advice to a beginner in Abstract & Architecture Photography and how do you get started?
I think take better pictures is the result of many factors, and not only connected with photography.
I don't know if I'm able to give advice, I can only say to try!
Bring your passion out, without worrying about having to please everyone, but to find your own style and your own voice.

“doubtful”

Who are your favourite photographers and more importantly, how has your appreciation of their work affected how you approach your own photography?  
I could mention Fontana (which I had the opportunity to meet in person, a great experience!), Ghirri, Basilico, Giacomelli, Eggleston, Leiter, Haas and many others.
Even before my photographic studies I was attracted by a certain kind of subjects that I tried to capture in my own way, even though I didn't know any of these great masters. Later, studying their works in depth, I found a key to interpretation from which to start, to then give my own personal vision of what I am interested in representing.

Are there any specific directions that you would like to take your photography in the future or any specific goals that you wish to achieve?
I don't know what I'm gonna shoot tomorrow. I don't like categories and definitions very much, and I don't think I have to take pictures whose first objective is to please others (I’m happy that this can happen, of course). For me, photography is a personal journey, so I hope to improve my skills and never loose enjoyment to taking pictures. I would like to print more than I do today, whether it's for exhibitions or my own personal records, I am increasingly appreciating the unique pleasure that can give you a beautiful printed photograph. 

“circles and pipes”

Describe your favourite photograph taken by you and why it is special to you? 
To remain within pictures of my 1X portfolio, I could say the photo “Binary Code”

“Binary code”

This is probably not my absolute favourite photo (if I consider the hundreds of pictures taken after this one, not only here on 1X), but for sure it is one of my favourites.
In this case, abstraction propose an interpretation of the picture, obtained through "reduction" of an entire architecture structure.
I remember well the context and the moment I took the picture, and this was one of the first results of my new workflow, with a new “realization” regarding what I was interest to capture and how to represent it.

“urban vision”

“red structure”