Massimo Vitali (b. 1944), an artist who is appreciated and valued in the selective world of art photography, the real one, not the fake one and with (empty) words, is a photographer who boasts a bright individual path. His first professional tracks have their roots in an enthralling shoot on the white bicycles of Amsterdam, those of the Provos (provocateurs) movement. It is History, which brings us back to the bright pages of the magazine Popular Photography Italiana, from 1966, with a layout by no less than Giancarlo Iliprandi (1925-2016), one of the most valued graphic designers in our country. Distant times, indescribable times: those who want to do so can easily approach the Provos and Giancarlo Iliprandi through retrospectives on the Net.
We can note that from his photo-journalistic origins, seasoned with solid and convinced personal commitments, cultivated on the long wave of American Concerned Photography of those distant decades, over time Massimo Vitali has transformed his photography to reach a consistent expressive path, which is worth the current recognition of “art” (attribution that we frequent with caution and fear, but here we find that it is necessary). From the original Italian Beaches, from 1995 (with the prestigious monograph Beach & Disco by the authoritative German publisher Steidl Verlag, 1999), his Time has not passed in vain. To better address those who, in Italy, deal with Photography, we remind you that Massimo Vitali illustrated the relevant and influential Epson 2009 Calendar. At the same time, we certify that this edition has focused on the most significant contemporary Italian photography… without compromises, nor fictitious agreements (which, as usual, characterise our small world; in this case, just such… small).
