Human landscapes

Italian photographer Attilio Tripodi captures the invisible threads connecting individuals and the Universe through his latest series of photographs

At first glance, Italian photographer Attilio Tripodi’s “Temporary Solitudes” — a series of moments captured in time in the form of monochromatic photographs — is a study in juxtaposition: light and shadow, movement and stasis cohabiting in some images as a seamless continuity and in others as a stark contrast. A closer look, accompanied by the photographer’s careful explanation, will show you that each image is, in fact, a study in the relationship between an individual and the Universe.

“The protagonists in these images are people immersed in their daily lives, within different contexts and in different situations, seemingly isolated from the rest of the world. However, human beings are social in nature and inevitably interact with everything around them — they establish relationships with people, exchange emotions and so on,” Tripodi explains. “Above all, by a higher spiritual law, we are all connected to each other — we are One,” he affirms.

The isolation so depicted in each photograph is not only temporary — as the title makes clear enough — but might also constitute a conscious attempt to establish a connection with oneself, the photographer feels. “I imagined that each protagonist has deliberately tried to create a temporary solitude to facilitate a connection with their inner self — to get in touch with their inner essence as a prelude to an inner dialogue that leads them further along their evolutionary path,” he elaborates and adds, “Even when it seems that we are alone, we are surrounded by invisible forces that support us and suggest answers to our questions: we just have to listen attentively and look within.”

Ask him why he chose to go monochrome with this series when he is, in fact, known for a vibrant and rich colour palette in his earlier work and he says, “Black and white were more akin to the theme I chose: meditative and intimate in their own way. There is a hint of melancholy in some of the images, but never sadness. That is one effect I feel black and white accomplish beautifully together, along with enabling me to accentuate the sense of introspection I was looking to create.”

One cannot help but feel that all the images in the series could, in their own way, be termed portraits even though the faces are obscured and the human figures are small. It is almost as though they are portraits of the Universe, inclusive of individuals. The photographer concedes to the interpretation and adds, “I always try to capture what I like to term a ‘human landscape’ in my photographs. In my own path of spiritual knowledge, I have understood that an invisible thread connects all human beings and the Universe.”

Terming himself a spontaneous photographer, Tripodi also avers that his work takes shape as he goes along instead of being the outcome of a pre-decided notion or composition he is looking to capture. “Like Talmud says, ‘we do not see things as they are, but as we are’. My vision of reality, as depicted in my photographs, is very personal and intimate. I have no pre-established limits or standards when I shoot, nor even a precise idea. The idea is to capture a situation that moves me and to transfer the emotion I feel to the spectator of the image so created,” he concludes.