Endframe – “On Being Aware of Nature” by Mario Giacomelli

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson lives and works in South Wales – 30 minutes away from Poppit Sands beach in Pembrokeshire. His work at Poppit Sands is a continual life long examination of the landscape, the art of photography and the creative avenues that can be explored there

mgjackson.co.uk

It can be of no surprise that Mario Giacomelli [Wikipedia] is generally regarded as one of Italy's greatest photographers. Born in 1925 he took his first photographs at 25 and won a national photography competition a year later. From then on he moved from subject to subject - a hospice, an abattoir, trainee Catholic priests playing in the snow - and, of course, his landscape.

My chosen image is from a series that he worked on from 1977 to 2000 called 'On Being Aware of Nature'. I could have chosen any of his images from any of his different projects and I would say the same of all of them. The strong contrasts, the intense light, the effortless composition. However the main aspect of Giacomelli's work that seems to strike true for me is the fact that he was prepared to do anything to get onto paper whatever was burning a hole in his mind and heart.