SANDRO GIORDANO

“I realized that this was the only way to exorcise my inner and physical falls. IN EXTREMIS is my therapy. ” – Excusive interview with Italian photographer, Sandro Giordano. Cover picture: Hungry Doggy Boy.

Could we start with some background information about you? Where you grow up, where you based, how did you get interested in photography?

I was born and raised in Rome. I studied scenography and I have been an actor for twenty years in theather, film and television, but I wasn’t satisfied. So, I started traveling around Europe and I lived in Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Cologne, trying to figure out which was the right place for me. I understood that I’m a “nomad”, I cannot stand still one place for long. Perhaps among them, Barcelona si the city that most changed my life. There I started improvising me as a photographer. I had never done it before. Everything started in 2013 with my photographic project IN EXTREMIS (bodies with no regret).

You capture failures/falls on your pictures. How do you handle private failures in your life?

For some years now I have faced any problem, stopping myself and taking long breaths. Thinking that it’s useless to mull over how we could have avoided falls and failures, and if something bad has happened there will be a reason. What I do is figure out where I went wrong and find a solution so that it doesn’t happen again.

Who’s are the models on your pictures? How do you choose your models?

In most cases I work with my former theater colleagues. I need models that have great physical strength and that know how to shape their body according to the needs required by the character I want to tell. It’s not easy at all to stay long in those positions and actors and dancers have a very high technical background.

Where are you finding ideas for your pictures?

Basically I take inspiration from everyday life. I carefully observe people’s behaviors and neuroses, their fears, obsessions and fragility. These are the elements useful to my work, which I take and turn into an ironic and grotesque key. In some cases I am inspired by specific social or politcs events. Recently I faced pedophilia in the Catholic church. I don’t want my project to be purely political, but for sure it can be sometimes the right channel to report what I don’t like.

Have you ever took a “self portrait” for Extremis? If not, what will be the scene for yourself?

It has already happened about a dozen times. I like being the model in my own photos, but when it happens I don’t have control of the set and my body and I have to trust whoever click in my place. I prefer to be on the other side. For sure, in the last photo of the project there will be the author crashed with all his photos, but there is still time for that.

Do you remember which of your picture was the most difficult to capture? Why that one?

For sure the one against pedophilia. To achieve MEA MAXIMA CULPA (2019) I faced various difficulties. In the photo there is a large and heavy frame whose left end detaches from the wall making it fall on the model’s face. The only solution to obtain the effect I wanted was to hook a wire thick to the aforementioned end and keep it in tension during the shots, so that the painting would not fall. I believe I have never sweated so much. While I was shooting, I was terrified that the other end would collapse because of the great weight, and I was also apprehensive about the model. To keep the frame in balance he had put the front corner in his mouth, squeezing it between his teeth. We lived moments of great tension, but we managed to achieve the desired result.

Everything you see in the picture is real, I just had the wire removed in post production.

Ever gotten into any trouble with your work?

Fortunately, I have not had any big trouble yet apart from some censored photos on social networks and a couple of court hearings to get compensation from the violations. Internet is a great channel to spread my work in the world, but for this reason it’s within everyone’s reach and more and more often they make my photos an improper use that must be punished by law.

You telling a different story in every of your pictures. Ever wanted/done?/ to make short movie instead of still pictures?

One of my biggest dreams would be to make a real IN EXTREMIS movie, but I cannot do everything myself. I would need someone to help me write the script, but above all it takes a lot of money to make it happen. I hope some producers call me soon.

How important is social media to you and your career?

My project was born on Instagram and after only six months it exploded all over the world thanks to an interview with Instagram. I remember those days as if I had just won an Oscar. My mail was full by requests from galleries, magazines and buyers, and it’s been like that for five years. The media coverage of social networks can be truly incredible if used in a clever way, I believe I succeeded.

What do you do when you got time for yourself?

I have to say that since IN EXTREMIS was born, my free time has been greatly reduced, but I’m very happy about this because I love what I do, I just wish the days were much longer. In any case, when I can I dedicate most of my free time to music. I’m a music nerd. I spend hours on Spotify discovering new artists and trying to watch at least one movie a day. Cinema is another great passion of mine.

What is your motto to live by?

I have a very fickle nature, so I don’t like to plan long-term things because after a few hours I have already changed my mind. I don’t know if there is a motto for this. Let’s say I live my life day by day.

Please finish the sentences:

The best way to fall is … To let yourself go without being afraid of getting hurt.

My dream is … May everyone in the world have at least one picture of Remmidemmi hanging on the wall.

Deeply in love with … The life I live.

Find more: @__remmidemmi / www.sandrogiordanoinextremis.it