Natalia Piccon

Digital Creative

personal website

The Author

I was born in Rome in 1965, and I live and work here. In 1995, I received a degree in Philosophy with a concentration in ethno-anthropological studies at “Tor Vergata“ University of Rome, including discussing a thesis exploring certain themes present in the thought of Ernesto de Martino, who without a doubt can be considered one of the founding fathers of Italian historical/religious and ethnological research. My two years of collaboration at the Chair of History of Religions under the direction of Prof. Marcello Massenzio and participation in different seminars held by the “Ernesto de Martino” International Association gave me an opportunity to study in depth certain ritual forms of Southern Italy. It was in this context that I had occasion to examine some photo shots by Franco Pinna: I was very much struck by his ability to use the photographic lens to capture the rhythmic sequence and emotional impact of the gestures and facial expressions of funeral mourning.

A desire thus re-emerged in me to dedicate part of my time to the other great passion of mine: photography. Upon graduation from secondary school, my father – who has directed documentaries and shorts – presented me with his Nikkormat FT with a 50-mm lens. From then on, all my travels (and even my walks in Rome!) turned into a matter of “knowing how to see” through a photographic lens. After each excursion, I would show the slides with a Carousel and discuss the shots with my father: how the camera was set, the camera angle, the distance from the subject, the dimensions of the picture, the perspective, the quality and quantity of the light, the contrasting and superimposed elements of the picture, and the degree of contrast. But the “hardest” part regarded the composition of the picture, where the effectiveness of the shot came into play, along with my sensibility, my personal taste and my judgement. In the following years, I became ever increasingly more taken by this hobby, purchasing a Nikon F3 and beginning to take courses in photography so as to sharpen my technical skills as a photographer.

And so, I came to understand that in order to better develop my sense of photographic composition it would be most useful for me to observe and study certain forms of abstract and semiabstract painting, as well as certain forms of “ethnographic” art.
This attraction to the graphic potential of lines led me to experiment with special processes. In photography, “true” lines are rare and photographers who want to explore their possibilities must master the processes of solarisation and bas-relief. In this way, one has the possibility of boundlessly increasing contrast, to the point of reaching pure black and white tones. In addition, it is possible to almost completely eliminate superfluous details. In short, these techniques allowed me to create semiabstract pictures that brought me closer and closer to graphic composition.

Starting in late 2002 and all through 2003, owing to a set of family circumstances, I spent a great deal of time with my son drawing, he and I. And, in his graphic works, I discovered an endless possibility of identifying a purity of signs and colours that seemed to erase any reference to representation. As a completely self-taught person, I thus decided to try to sketch whatever came into my head on small pieces of plywood. It was late 2003 when I took the big step of purchasing a Nikon D70. And with this digital reflex, I threw myself into the world of the computer, including software for photo retouching and graphics. A study of Photoshop and Illustrator, patient work on my images and above all the purchase of a Wacom graphics tablet allowed me to discover that I can “compose” the image exactly as it is in my mind and as I desire, thanks to the computer tools (hardware and software) that enable me to express and represent with unlimited freedom my inner feelings at any given moment.

In May 2005, I received my first commission from the “Associazione Italiana Lotta Allo Stigma” (AILAS) to produce a set of pictures for the description and graphic union of the ten thematic areas of its National Congress 2006, held at the “Parco della Musica” Auditorium of Rome.
In September 2007, I'm presenting my first digital art film "Transparencies" at the International Abstract Cinema Exhibition "Abstracta 2007" that will be inaugurated at the audiovisual museum of the Italian Record Library in Rome.
From the 8th to the 11th of February 2008, I'm presenting some of my works to the Innsbruck International Fair for Contemporary Art (Austria) at the stand of Gnaccarini Gallery (Bologna, Italy).
In September and Octobre 2008, I'm presenting my new film "Xilocopo" at the "Abstracta 2008", International Abstract Cinema Exhibition in Rome (Italy), New York (USA) and El Cairo (Egypt).
In November 2009 a my picture as been selected by Exòrma Edizioni to represent the Congress "Le muse dell'animo" on depressive desease and art, held at Avigliano Umbro (Terni, Italy).


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