Pictures Through Pinholes: Alessandra Capodacqua

 Ciao My Readers, 
          As priorly mentioned,   I have a new angle and with it a new understanding of the contemporary especially in photography and mixed media.

On February 10th 2011, I attended a lecture given by photographer; curator and teacher. Alessandra Capodacqua. Capodacqua became interested in photography during her mid-teens. Thereby, she was gifted a camera upon her eighteenth birthday to celebrate her favorite hobby. In the 1970's , photography was mainly a hobby and was not viewed as a satifisying career choice. Thus, Capodacqua majored in English but held onto her dream of one day becoming an accomplished photographer. Upon graduation, Capodacqua moved to Florence to actualize her dream. At the time, She was merely a commercial photographer. Yet ,in 1992 she suffered an eye affliction, which transformed her entire body of work. In response to her ailment, Capadacqua began to make and use pin hole cameras because they were easier on her eyes since they did not contain a lens or viewfinder.  these works set on 35 mm film were by far Capodacqua's most successful body of work.

 Capodacqua uses a myriad of photographic techniques such as black and white, color aperture, movement and lighting. She also displays varying subject matter with her self-portraits, landscapes, still lives, impressions and emersions. Her incredibly innovative style of showing her film with sprocket-holes adds to the architectural and atmospheric elements within her landscape photography.  Her ability to stretch the boundaries of photography without compromising her image via Photoshop is commendable. She creates new methods of picture making merely through movement behind and in front of the camera.


I am highly fascinated with the paranormal and the Macabre; thereby Capodacqua’s theme of being and non-being captivates me. She utilizes movement and color to play with memory and illusion. Her portraits embody the true example of creating something out of nothing as displayed with her innovative techniques and self made cameras.

I have a great appreciation for Capodacqua as a pinhole photographer and teacher. Pinhole cameras may be the easiest cameras to construct. Yet, the art of pin - hole photography is very time-consuming and in Capodacqua’s case requires much attention since she refuses to discard any film.  Capodacqua's work is truly a spectacle, to learn more about this resilient artists visit her website at http://www.alessandracapodacqua.com/

a preso, 

<3 Belladonna

Welcome to All Art has been Contemporary!!!

Ciao My Readers,
Now my guess is many of you are very disappointed in my failure at staying in touch these past months and I don't blame you. I have absolutely no excuse for not writing these past months.  My main reason for not writing was because I decided to revert back to my depressive self and start the equivalency of a pity blog. That is right,  your Gianna who wrote such museum write-ups that were published in travel blogs reverted back to writing like a high-school girl. I suppose I did it because i was too embarrassed to admit to my readers that I was  originally very unhappy about  coming back to Florence.  The city remained  the same but so did I, I wanted to come back and feel the same way I did when I left Florence, Yet in truth all i felt was uncertainty . It has taken four months for myself to find that sense of security, which I found unexpectedly in my Young Italian Artist class. This course revolves around experiential learning from artists lectures in the class room to visits to individual studios.
As mentioned in my new biography, every artists mentioned comes from the contemporary underground art scene of Florence,  Yet, I must give credit where credit is due and that is to the brilliancy of contemporary installation artists Maurizio Nannucci.

"All art has been contemporary" by Maurizio Nannucci ,
 2010 neon , 65 x 1600 cm Galleria degli Uffizi 

His lighting display on the facade of the uffizi museum turned heads with its bold exclamation "All art has been contemporary".  His words hold verity to my own connection with art. What is contemporary art?  how do we define it?  was classical art once contemporary art? it is these questions that spring forth from this single sentence. and these questions which I further wish to explore through the art blogosphere.
Finally, I'm sure you have noticed I have renounced by title as Gianna della Rosa . Though Gianna is closer to my original name, I feel since my blog is now projecting a new angle I myself  should project a  new image. Belladonna is a lovely nickname that was given by someone very dear to me and I feel she embodies the person I am now.
Thankyou for staying tuned these past months while I was on a hiatus I promise many amazing write-ups to follow.
Grazie Mille
<3 Belladonna