“Death of Youth” This project stems from the idea that when a man
turns thirty, he reaches a threshold where the possibility of
fulfilling youthful fantasies ceases to exist. I have aspired to
create a project that not only exemplifies the desires I had as a
young man, but also illustrates the desires of a man transitioning
into a new life period. In this sense, this series documents a
lifestyle that I yearned for as a younger man, and one that I possibly
still crave. When I turned thirty, the fantasy portrayed in these
photographs became impossible: the person who lives such a life must
be born taller, better-looking, handsome, charming, famous and
wealthier than I. This project provided me with closure as I concluded
one segment of my life—my youth—and began another. I named this
series “Death of Youth” as a testament to growing older and
leaving my youth behind. The aesthetics of the project come from my
childhood. I have always been able to express more through a single
photograph than thousands of words, which is why I chose film as the
medium for this project. By shooting all of the photos on film—a
dying form—I was able to encapsulate the sense of memory that is so
important to these photos. I was extremely strict about not using
digital re-touching software to keep the images unembellished and true
to life. These techniques provide the viewer with a refreshing look at
beauty. Put differently, as more and more photos are manufactured
through Photoshop, these images release viewers from this paradigm and
allow them to live in this testimonial of a young man’s youthful
fantasies. I photographed 100 women to further demonstrate the fantasy
of this lifestyle. The majority of these women do not fit into the
typical characterization of “fashion model” that dominates much of
today’s photography. This provided a more raw and realistic vision
of this fantasy. I shot each model one-on-one without lights, make-up
artists, stylists or assistants. This provided a much more intimate
environment in which I was able to connect with my subjects on a very
personal level. On the other hand, these conditions varied greatly
from my normal working conditions. Often times I became frustrated, as
I had to navigate these sessions without the personnel and equipment I
have become accustomed to in my work. The limitations I set for this
project were both unique and trying for me, but ultimately produced a
final product that truly embodied the intimate nature of this project.
Understanding the intentions of this body of work is most important
when examining the photos. It is important to look at the whole of
this work, while also enjoying each photograph individually. I sought
to make each photo and woman beautiful. The images are not refined and
many resemble snapshots. The hyper-sexualized nature of the images
evokes the feeling that the photographer is involved in numerous
casual sexual encounters. Through the expressions, locations and
nudity captured in these photos, I tried to give form to the
aforementioned fantasy lifestyle. By participating actively in the
creation of this project I was able to live out my youthful fantasies.
I became the “jet-setting playboy” that I admired from my youth,
like James Bond, Hugh Hefner, Terry Richardson and Helmut Newton.
Moreover, I embodied the life of today’s version of these playboys:
the blog-centric photographer, the archetype of a sexual icon. I
concluded that the lifestyle that these rock stars portray in the
public is much more a marketing tool than a real way of life. By
shooting numerous women and interacting with them on a personal level,
I proved to myself that this fantasy is easily manufactured when one
has enough will power and money to sustain such a lifestyle. In other
words, I found that the allure and mystery of a photographer’s
celebrity status is manufactured. In the creation of this project, and
by living this “rock star” lifestyle, I discovered that I also had
to confront the negative consequences that come with it. For example,
many peers criticized my artwork, claiming that I was using it as an
excuse to take picture of naked women. However, this was certainly not
my intention. The photos are not meant to arouse viewers, but rather
provide them with the memory of their own youthful fantasies. For me
personally, the photos were a means to conclude this fantasy from my
youth and to produce a project that fully embodied it. The “Death of
Youth” series provided for me a medium through which I was able to
capture mementos from my past. I was able to live out the fantasies of
a younger version of myself through the creation of this project and
found that much of this lifestyle was just that: fantasy. -Giovanni
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