Today we’d like to introduce you to Piero Desopo.
Piero, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
My commute started when I was ten. I used to go to a school far from where I lived. On good days the trip took about one hour, but often more. With the time spent on the train, at school, and with homework to do, I couldn’t bond with the other kids in my town. And with my mates at school it didn’t go much better; when we were done with classes, they could walk together, hang out and share stories whereas I had to catch the train.
Outside the landscape was beautiful. I watched it for eight years sitting on the slow train. Nothing seemed to change about that landscape over the course of my countless trips back and forth; nonetheless, it was always fascinating. Those long trips, at times exhausting, and mostly isolating, gave me the chance to cultivate my passion and appreciate the nature outside. When I wasn’t glued to the window looking at it, I was drawing. That’s what I was doing most of the time on the train or at home. I lived in limbo. Drawing and playing piano (I also went to the Conservatory of Music) was all I needed to find relief from the isolation and also from the discussions that sometimes happened in my family.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
When I started doing photography a few years ago, one thing I definitely enjoyed was the exemption from schedules and client’s requests. I could take my time not only to experiment but also to learn something from scratch again. The learning experience makes me feel truly alive! I’m not talking about challenges. What I’m referring to is the condition of emptying my mind, being ready to absorb, and ultimately falling in love, and in order to do all of that, the absolute requirement is to change pace. It’s like being on that train again. It’s a curious coincidence that by doing photography, I felt the need to disconnect.
There are two main themes that I find compelling when it comes to photography: one is how light can shape an ordinary scene into something unusual and the other is the hidden connections that are suddenly exposed by a fortuitous, happy accident (which has always been a strong leitmotif for me since I studied Surrealism at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna). I’m also very intrigued by people’s expressions, gestures, and behaviors, but as I’m still shaping my idea of photography, and therefore my method of shooting, I haven’t figured out how to approach this third theme yet.
I wouldn’t say there’s an intrinsic message in my photography, but to me, there’s definitely an approach to how I experience the things I’m interested in. Maybe it’s in my nature, the thing is, I can’t enjoy photography through Instagram — or maybe it’s in Instagram’s nature the reason why I can’t enjoy it 🙂 There are some things in our lives worthy of contemplation, Art is definitely one of them.
The stereotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
I think from a financial standpoint the most valuable asset is time. Gears and equipment, when too expensive, can be rented or loaned but time can’t be bought.
It’s crucial to find the right balance between our responsibilities and our personal space, which nowadays is affected by more distractions than ever.
With time we can learn, practice, hone our skills, and thus get better. Then the work will speak for itself.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Everything I do lives on my two websites. For my photography it is http://pierodesopo.com & for my motion graphic design, it is http://phoenixart.com.
On my photography website, I organize my work by galleries, but I also keep the Journal section quite updated with new posts about every week (except when I get very busy at work).
I haven’t done any exhibitions yet as I’ve just started to consider some of my latest work acceptable. So, hopefully, I’ll soon gather enough good work to prepare for my first exhibition.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://pierodesopo.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Other: http://phoenixart.com
Image Credit:
Piero Desopo
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