Interview
Stefano Paradiso
Stefano Paradiso is a photographer and a cinematographer, born in Rome in 1969. He graduated from the R. Rossellini School of Cinematography and Photography in 1988. He works as a director of photography and camera operator in cinema and advertising, boasting numerous collaborations with well-known Italian directors, French and American; for television he has made documentaries and reportages in various countries of the world. A lover and scholar of photography in its broadest sense, he is inspired by great photographers such as Josef Koudelka, Luigi Ghirri, Japanese Nihonga pictorial art, Chinese Guóhuà, impressionism and obviously "le cinéma d’auteur." After living for many years in France, he returns to Italy in 2017 where he combines his work in the world of cinema with his personal photographic research which focuses on the use of black and white. He developed his darkroom technique working on the creation of large negatives and contact prints on various papers including Japanese Washi. He is an official member of Artdoc Photography Magazine and owns a Leica Monocrhome M Typ 242, a Leica M Typ 240 and a Leica M6 with vintage Summicron lenses that he never leaves behind.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I have been working in the world of the seventh art, cinema, for a long time. I have always been behind the camera and I am a cinematographer. I have always kept a lively eye on fine art photography and four years ago I set up my own darkroom again. Since then, my experimentation has taken me back to my photographic roots. I created more projects and slowly entered many international contests and calls.”
What inspires you?
“I have always been passionate about oriental art and of course many past and contemporary photographers. My inspiration comes from a varied mix of things that are important to me, subjects that I care a lot about, including nature. I leave a lot of room for instinct to sum it all up in my own personal style.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“There is no main theme. Looking at my work I could say that the cross-cutting theme could be nature and also man but from a more anthropological aspect. There is no hidden aspect but rather a common thread that binds my projects. A latent environmental message.”
“I have always kept a lively eye on fine art photography.”
How would you describe your work?
“I like to sum up my work in a sentence by Umberto Eco (semiotician, philosopher, writer) "The precision of the mechanism led me to the imprecise.” My clear reference to Japanese and Oriental painting in general addresses three fundamental aspects: Not pursuing the mimesis of reality, but a creative representation of it. Synthesis of tradition and contemporary aesthetics. The important role of the media used, mainly washi paper. Hence, the choice of using Japanese paper with a lively brushstroke of sensitive emulsion. After a long experimentation of technical attempts, readings, chemical and aesthetic research, a stream of unconsciousness has brought to light this fusion between oriental art and the more contemporary vision of black and white photography, all appearing during magical darkroom sessions.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Nihonga Oriental art is a great source of visual inspiration for me. Among my important references is Josef Koudelka, in whom one can read the persistence of human activity despite its fragility. This is a fundamental starting point for telling about landscapes emptied by the presence of man. Hence, my quest to recount man and history without human presence. For the moment, I would add Luigi Ghirri, one of the great masters of Italian photography. In his work, he used photography as a means to question reality, through images that make us reflect, on the difference between what we see, what they represent and their meaning. I could add many more.”
What is your creative process like?
“I don't follow a precise process. When I have an idea I let it mature on its own. I let my unconscious part play its part. Sometimes, I start from a shot, sometimes from a word, or I think of a theme and look for a way to deal with it. Experiments in the darkroom can also be a source of inspiration.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“The role of the artist is definitely to be able to provoke a thought a vision, an emotion. I do not believe that he can change the world, but that he can slowly make others aware of certain important issues; see social issues, the environment, politics, etc.”
