PRIVATE MOMENTS

Italy’s weird. Instead of just sitting back and enjoying all that America has to offer by ways of art and culture, they’re always running around making their own stuff for their own entertainment—never caring a lick for what we’ve got to say about it. Alessandro di Giampietro is one of these impudent roustabouts. For the past decade he’s been working out of Milan, taking pictures of pretty girls and weird clothing and other things his countrymen like. He’s also involved with Milan’s Office for Urban Transformation (OUT), these guys who stage weird public exhibitions like installing palm trees in the middle of city streets to try and get people involved with city planning and mapping out public spaces to suit their personalities. This may sound like a bunch of fruity hippie-style civic activism, but you know who else was big on fucking with the urban environment? The Situationists. And as any nerd worth their salt knows, what were the Situationists responsible for besides one pretty solid riot and a bunch of unwatchable films? Oh, just a little thing called punk.

(PS: We aren’t trying to be racist and make him sound like Luigi from the Super Mario Brothers Super Show, we did this interview over email and this is exactly how he wrote out his answers. So it’s charming—not offensive.)



So, Alessandro, why photography?

Because I love to show people the things that touch me and how they touch me. Maybe a little egocentric! I have always thought, "To be a photographer," and not "To work as a photographer." So for me being a photographer, although it's a hard work—it's hard to do what you feel instead of what the society want—you know, compromises to earn money.

Pictures from Young Guns.

And what do you feel with your photos?

I photograph my life through my friends. I make things happen, I never force the situations because I want things the most real as they can be.

What’s up with the pic of the girl you took for the issue?

It's the only picture I love about this girl. I love her look—very private and intimate. It's a snap shooted during a commercial work—one of the shoot that sometimes I manage to do during a commercial work. During pauses I try to keep some private moments.

Is that an alligator tattoo on your chest?

Yes, it's one of my good luck. I love also my tiger face on the back of my left arm.

There’s a pretty big Italian sculptor named Alexander di Giampietro—that’s not your dad or secret identity is it?

I don't even know this sculptor.

What’s taking up most of your time these days?

Since 2003 I'm working on Young Guns. It's a work in progress. The project is to publish the work. I have found a sponsor, now I need a good editor. I love to photograph people in private moments. Hope you understand something of me!

INTERVIEW BY STEPHANIE FOO
You can check out Alessandro’s work at alessandrodigiampitro.com

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