Giacomo Brunelli (born 1977) is a British/Italian artist working with photography, who lives in London.
Brunelli has published the following books of
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
and
street photography
Street photography (also sometimes called candid photography) is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places. Although there is a difference between street and ca ...
black and white photographs: ''The Animals'' (2008 and 2016), ''Eternal London'' (2014), ''Self Portraits'' (2016), ''New York'' (2020), ''Hamburg'' (2021) and ''Venice'' (2022).
His work has been exhibited at The
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...
,
The Photographers' Gallery
The Photographers' Gallery was founded in London by Sue Davies opening on 14 January 1971, as the first public gallery in the United Kingdom devoted solely to photography.
It is also home to the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, established in ...
and
The New Art Gallery Walsall
The New Art Gallery Walsall is a modern and contemporary art gallery sited in the centre of the West Midlands town of Walsall, England. It was built with £21 million of public funding, including £15.75 million from the UK National Lottery and ...
in the UK and at
Blue Sky Gallery
Blue Sky Gallery, also known as The Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts, is a non-profit exhibition space for contemporary photography in Portland, Oregon. Blue Sky Gallery is dedicated to public education, began by showing local artists and ...
in Portland, OR, USA. His work is held in the collections of
The New Art Gallery Walsall
The New Art Gallery Walsall is a modern and contemporary art gallery sited in the centre of the West Midlands town of Walsall, England. It was built with £21 million of public funding, including £15.75 million from the UK National Lottery and ...
,
Portland Art Museum
The Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, United States, was founded in 1892, making it one of the oldest art museums on the West Coast and seventh oldest in the US. Upon completion of the most recent renovations, the Portland Art Museum becam ...
,
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is an art museum located in the Houston Museum District of Houston, Texas. With the recent completion of an eight-year campus redevelopment project, including the opening of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Build ...
and
Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts
The is a gallery of photography in the Kiyosato region
of the city of Hokuto, Yamanashi (Japan).
The gallery was founded in 1995; Eikoh Hosoe has been its director since its opening.
The gallery, which also refers to itself as "K*MoPA", "emb ...
in Japan.
Early life and education
Brunelli was born in
Perugia
Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia.
The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...
, Italy.
He grew up in the countryside and spent his childhood playing with animals.
He graduated from university in Communications and took a six-month course in
photojournalism
Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...
in Rome where he had been living before moving to London.
Art/photography
Brunelli's medium is gelatin silver prints and he is a printer.
He photographs with a
Miranda Sensomat
camera—a
35 mm 35 mm may refer to:
* 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film
* 35 mm movie film, a type of motion picture film stock
* 35MM 35 mm may refer to:
* 135 film, a type of still photography format ...
SLR made in 1962 once belonged to his father, an amateur photographer.
In a recent talk, he mentioned
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
,
Italian Medieval Art
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
street photography
Street photography (also sometimes called candid photography) is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places. Although there is a difference between street and ca ...
as his major influences.
In 2021, Brunelli's image of the dog was used as the cover of the script of the movie ''
The Power of the Dog,'' directed by
Jane Campion
Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion (born 30 April 1954) is a New Zealand filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed films ''The Piano'' (1993) and '' The Power of the Dog'' (2021), for which she has received a tot ...
starring
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. Known for his work on screen and stage, he has received various accolades, including a British Academy Television Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurence O ...
,
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the short ''Oedipus Wrecks'' directed by Woody Allen in the anthology film ''New York Stories'' (1989). She then gained recognition for her rol ...
and
Kodi Smit-Mcphee
Kodi Smit-McPhee (born 13 June 1996) is an Australian actor. He gained recognition as a child actor for his leading roles in ''The Road'' (2009) and '' Let Me In'' (2010). In 2021, Smit-McPhee garnered critical acclaim for his performance as Pe ...
.
In the same year, New York publisher
Assouline
Assouline Publishing is a book publisher and luxury lifestyle company founded in 1994 by Prosper and Martine Assouline. It has published more than 1,700 titles on subjects including architecture, art, design, fashion, gastronomy, lifestyle, phot ...
releases the book of the movie, The Power of the Dog, with Brunelli's dog photograph in it.
In 2016, Brunelli's image of the snarling dog was used in the movie ''
The 9th Life of Louis Drax
''The 9th Life of Louis Drax'' is a 2016 supernatural thriller film directed by Alexandre Aja and starring Jamie Dornan, Sarah Gadon, Aiden Longworth, Oliver Platt, Molly Parker, Julian Wadham, Jane McGregor, Barbara Hershey, and Aaron Paul. It w ...
,'' directed by
Alexandre Aja
Alexandre Jouan-Arcady, known professionally as Alexandre Aja, (; born 7 August 1978) is a French filmmaker best known for his work in the horror film, horror genre. He rose to international stardom for his 2003 horror film ''High Tension, Haute ...
, during
Jamie Dornan
James Peter Maxwell Dornan (; born 1 May 1982) is an actor, model and musician from Northern Ireland. Formerly a character actor, he often portrays solemn, steady characters. The recipient of two Irish Film and Television Awards, he has been n ...
's hypnosis.
''The Animals'' (2004–2008)
Brunelli has photographed "animals in the countryside, backyards, fields and farms since 2004" in Italy.
He calls this series "animal-focused
street photography
Street photography (also sometimes called candid photography) is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places. Although there is a difference between street and ca ...
".
His
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
aesthetic makes them "seem singled out or stopped in their tracks".
He gets as close as his camera will allow, which "forces the animals to either flight or fight," at which point he photographs them.
"It is all about capturing that moment of reaction, triggered through various approaches that vary from animal to animal. Whether it is ignoring them, running after them or using their natural curiosity for the shot."
In 2008,
The New Art Gallery Walsall
The New Art Gallery Walsall is a modern and contemporary art gallery sited in the centre of the West Midlands town of Walsall, England. It was built with £21 million of public funding, including £15.75 million from the UK National Lottery and ...
will present his first museum show and in the same year Dewi Lewis Publishing publishes the series.
''Eternal London'' (2012–2014)
In 2012, he was commissioned by
The Photographers' Gallery
The Photographers' Gallery was founded in London by Sue Davies opening on 14 January 1971, as the first public gallery in the United Kingdom devoted solely to photography.
It is also home to the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, established in ...
in London to make the ''Eternal London'' series, which he worked on every day for two years creating a body of work between film noir, street photography and sculpture .
The book was selected by Martin Parr and included in the "Strange and Familiar" exhibition at the
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...
in London in 2017.
Again using his film noir style, the silhouettes of people and animals are set against well known London landmarks.
After following a person he wishes to photograph, "working discreetly, Brunelli often uses a removable viewfinder, to be able to photograph his subjects from waist height and other unusual angles, such as directly from behind and with extreme close-up", obscuring their faces.
He uses "light, shadow and contrast to imbue his images with a dramatic atmosphere and a feeling of claustrophobia."
In 2014 The Photographers' Gallery will exhibit the work in a solo show.
''Self Portraits'' (2010–2013)
In the summer 2010, while searching for animals in
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, ...
, Brunelli noticed his shadow projected on a white road and decided to start the ''Self Portraits'' series, which it will be completed in 2013.
Brunelli says that he took inspiration from
Arte Povera.
The project will be published in Paris by Editions Bessard in 2016.
Hamburg (2015)
In 2015,
Deichtorhallen
The Deichtorhallen in Hamburg, Germany, is one of Europe's largest art centers for contemporary art and photography. The two historical buildings dating from 1911 to 1913 are iconic in style, with their open steel-and-glass structures. Their archi ...
museum commissioned Brunelli to work on the city of
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
and the series will be exhibited at Robert Morat Galerie and published in 2021 by Editions Bessard (Paris).
New York City (2017–2019)
Between 2017 and 2019 he has produced his latest body of work to date on New York City, exhibited at
The Photographers'Gallery in London in October 2019 and published in 2020 by Skinnerboox (Italy).
Venice (2020-2022)
Brunelli worked in Venice (Italy) between 2020 and 2022 for a project that he self-published in June 2022 under his own publishing house called Tantopress (London, Uk)
Publications
Books of work by Brunelli
*''Venice.'' London: TantoPress, 2022. .
*''Hamburg.'' Paris: Bessard, 2021. .
*''New York.'' Skinnerboox. Jesi, 2020. .
*''The Animals.'' Stockport:
Dewi Lewis
Dewi Lewis (born 10 March 1951) is a Welsh publisher and curator of photography.
Career
In 1975, Lewis was the founding director of the Bury Metropolitan Arts Association which operates the Met.
Lewis also founded and was the first director of ...
, 2008. . With an introduction by Alison Nordstrom.
**Second expanded edition. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2016. . With a foreword by Nordstrom.
*''Eternal London.'' Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2014. .
**Second edition. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2016. .
*''Self Portraits.'' Paris: Bessard, 2016. .
Books with contributions by Brunelli
*''Bird.'' Hoxton Mini Press, 2022 written by Gemma Padley.
*''The Power of the Dog.'' Assouline, 2021 book from the movie by Jane Campion.
*''Strange and Familiar.'' Barbican Centre, Prestel 2017. by Martin Parr.
*''Keeper of the Hearth.'' Schilt, 2020.
*''Unseen London.'' Hoxton Mini Press, 2019.
*''Masters of Street Photography.'' Ammonite, 2019.
*''Mono Vol.2.'' Gomma, 2016.
Awards
*2008: Winner, Nature category,
Sony World Photography Awards
The World Photography Organisation is a global platform for photography initiatives and helps artists working in photography broaden the conversation around their work. Established in 2007 by CEO Scott Gray, in the United kingdom it involves peop ...
, Cannes, for a photograph of a snarling dog
Solo exhibitions
*''The Animals,''
The New Art Gallery Walsall
The New Art Gallery Walsall is a modern and contemporary art gallery sited in the centre of the West Midlands town of Walsall, England. It was built with £21 million of public funding, including £15.75 million from the UK National Lottery and ...
, Walsall, UK, 2008;
Blue Sky Gallery
Blue Sky Gallery, also known as The Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts, is a non-profit exhibition space for contemporary photography in Portland, Oregon. Blue Sky Gallery is dedicated to public education, began by showing local artists and ...
, Portland, OR;
The Photographers' Gallery
The Photographers' Gallery was founded in London by Sue Davies opening on 14 January 1971, as the first public gallery in the United Kingdom devoted solely to photography.
It is also home to the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, established in ...
, London, 2010;
Transphotographiques, Lille, France, 2011.
*''Eternal London,'' The Photographers' Gallery, London, 2014.
Collections
Brunelli's work is held in the following public collections:
*
Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts
The is a gallery of photography in the Kiyosato region
of the city of Hokuto, Yamanashi (Japan).
The gallery was founded in 1995; Eikoh Hosoe has been its director since its opening.
The gallery, which also refers to itself as "K*MoPA", "emb ...
, Hokuto, Japan: 4 prints (as of May 2018)
*
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is an art museum located in the Houston Museum District of Houston, Texas. With the recent completion of an eight-year campus redevelopment project, including the opening of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Build ...
, TX: 1 print (as of May 2018)
*
The New Art Gallery Walsall
The New Art Gallery Walsall is a modern and contemporary art gallery sited in the centre of the West Midlands town of Walsall, England. It was built with £21 million of public funding, including £15.75 million from the UK National Lottery and ...
, Walsall, UK: 3 prints (as of May 2018)
*
Portland Art Museum
The Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, United States, was founded in 1892, making it one of the oldest art museums on the West Coast and seventh oldest in the US. Upon completion of the most recent renovations, the Portland Art Museum becam ...
, Portland, OR: 2 prints
References
External links
*
"Evocative view of London's Streets"BBC article
The Telegraph
"The Bling Dog Interview"The Guardian
"Giacomo Brunelli’s Striking Black & White Animal Street Photography"– gallery of ''The Animals'' photographs at ''PetaPixel''
"London calling: pictures that capture the capital"– gallery of ''Eternal London'' photographs at ''The Guardian''
Brunelli introducing "New York" at The Photographers' Gallery in London (video)
Brunelli walks through explaining his exhibition ''The Animals''(video)
Brunelli walks through explaining his exhibition ''Eternal London''(video)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunelli, Giacomo
1977 births
Living people
Artists from Perugia
Italian photographers
Street photographers