Luigi Ghirri reminds us that not seeing clearly creates uncertainty and destroys any presumption of the gaze. With the photographs on display, Umberto Verdoliva wants to make the viewer dwell on the mystery and ambiguous charm that the images transmit at first glance, suggesting, through a visual stratification, a sort of enchantment.

Photographs in which a glass, a transparent opaque surface, a veil, or closed shadows are an obstacle to clear vision, but thus offer the possibility of rediscovering that vision denied by the excess of visibility. To presume means to anticipate without having seen, to observe Verdoliva’s photos means to exercise one’s imagination.

On show until 7 June 2019 at Photo Festival 2019 in Milan

http://www.milanophotofestival.it/
http://www.spazioraw.it/la-presunzione-dello-sguardo-umberto-verdoliva/

About Umberto Verdoliva

Umberto Verdoliva was born in Castellammare di Stabia (Naples) in 1961 and he lives in Treviso since 2004. Immediately street photography became his main field of research and activity. In 2010 he joined the international collective “ViVo”, which he left in 2017. In 2013 he founded “SPONTANEA” an Italian collective dedicated to street photography in its broadest forms.He faces street photography with creativity and perseverance, often presenting it in series or in thematic projects, a careful and sensitive eye attracted by humanity and the poetry of everyday life. Lights, shadows, contrast, sarcasm and the hunting of visual poetry.The atmosphere of city life nourished his curiosity to capture life situations with the camera. Ordinary life turns into attractive and charming pictures.

A mental city, A prisoner of privacy, What is a dream? Behind a glass, Just Like You, are the most representative series of his photographic work. Among the main awards received: finalist at Sony World International Photography 2009; winner of the Fabriano urban portfolio award in 2010; finalist of the tenth edition of the 2013 CIFA award “We believe in your eyes”; finalist in the photographic challenge FOFU 2011 and 2013; finalist and public award at the 2014 Miami street photography festival; finalist in the 2016 San Francisco street photo contest; finalist at Miami street photography festival 2016; finalist at the FAPA Fine Art Photography Awards in 2016 and a finalist with the book “An Ordinary Day” at the Indian Photo festival 2017.

He participated in numerous exhibitions in recent years, both in Italy and abroad. He deals with workshops, courses, exhibitions and portfolio readings, presentations, writing articles and in-depth studies on street photography; his photographs have been published in the main Italian and international photography magazines.

From December 2016 he collaborates with the FIAF Social Department and with the magazine FOTO IT and in 2017 he received the title of AFI-Italian Photographer by the FIAF.

More about the author:
Website: www.umbertoverdoliva.it
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uverdoliva/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uverdoliva/