BEA DE GIACOMO
Bea De Giacomo - Photo Editor of Italian VICE Magazine, capturer of abstract faces, meticulously curated objects, and unexpected spaces - strikes me as an artist at the fore of a new wave of photographers: inspired and influenced by the constant visual upheaval provided by the internet, determined, meticulous, and unafraid of exploring conceptual reflections of society and culture.
Having worked for an impressive array of clients, including Rolling Stones Magazine, Interview Magazine, Levi’s, and Wallpaper*, Bea’s work explores contemporary aesthetics through assemblies of non-traditional beauty. Whether her commission is for a VICE journalistic feature, a product still life shoot, or a magazine editorial, Bea’s work oozes conviction through seamlessly weaved, yet ultimately abducted elements.
As I chat with Bea in Milan, fresh home from a trip to Toscana for a product shoot, the first thing I note is her carefully considered yet frank honesty. Growing up in a little lake town 100km north of Italy, Bea talks candidly about her profession and inspirations, siting the discover of her Father's film camera and the internet as the catalysts triggering her interest in forging a career in photography. “I always took pictures but without any purpose - just to have memories of a particular situation: friends, travels, holidays… my camera was a point-and-shot Olympus something (of course I am still taking these kinds of pictures). Then one day, at the age of 22, I found my dad’s old medium format camera (a Lubitel 2), and fascinated by the vintage flavour of my family album pictures, I started shooting with that, mostly natural landscape of my hometown and portraits of my family. From the first roll there was one picture (I had never seen a 120 film before, and I was shooting without a light meter in the bargain, with a fully mechanical and manual camera), but it was so exciting that it moved something inside me. This really introduced me to photography.
At that time there was a social network called Fotolog, and I remember I posted my pictures there and this is where I was told I was talented by friends and a lot of other people. So I began to think about photography in a different way, and I started to take it seriously,” explains Bea. “I have fun doing it; that’s the most attractive feature in a career I think.”
Time and again, the internet has proved to be a great equaliser, allowing anyone and everyone to showcase their work, leaving no voice or view unheard, and paving the way for the creation of niches which would otherwise have been left unexplored. VICE Magazine is a prime example of these ideals, proving to be the perfect showcase for Bea’s captivatingly unconventional work. “We - Anna Carraro, stylist and fashion editor of the magazine, and me - feel quite free to make new and experimental shootings on VICE, and also to involve young artists. So it’s always stimulating working for it,” says Bea. “The most interesting part of my job consist of always meeting new and talented people. I particularly love shooting reports together with a journalist - This kind of shooting enriches me a lot. I'm a very curious person, but I am also really shy. In these occasions I am authorized to explore a place like a curious kid, and I can also listen and take part in the interviews to fulfil my curiosity. I’ve done a lot of these for VICE. Personally, I don’t like to write, I don’t think I’m good at it. I prefer to communicate with images.”
In 2012 Bea’s visual expressions found a new outlet through collaborations with her visual artist boyfriend Massimiliano Bomba, founder of independent publishing house RawRaw Edizioni. Together the pair released the book Estate, a bunch of drawings and photographs they produced inspiring themselves mutually, during a summer. Bea pulls inspirations for her work from the streets around her, and also occasionally, she admits with a laugh, the discarded. “I used to build (my still life sets) myself with recycled materials found in the garbage, literally. Now I try to collaborate with professional set designers. But most of the time I use various objects and materials I’ve collected in time, from flea markets or the garbage. Home being often my workplace, I end up using my cats too most of the time.”
On Bea’s most satisfying work, she considers for some time before reflecting. “I think Naturals is my favourite shoot for VICE, not because I like it the most, but because it was the first in which we really expressed ourselves (me and Anna). So it represents an important moment in my working history. Looking at my portfolio there are some shootings I am never fed up with, like Spacetrip, but one of my real favourites is the latest story I shot for Hunter Magazine, because I love to shoot in location, even if it’s not happening often lately. I also really love working for Mousse Magazine, and whenever I am free to experiment”
“Coming up I will shoot some new projects and lookbooks with my lovely and steady clients (such as Yoox, Shallowww and Frip store just to name a few) and few fashion editorials. I have a pair of personal projects that I am currently working on. One is the “sequel” of Estate, a book I made together with my boyfriend. We are working on another split book which will be about night. Another project I’m working on is about money, but I can’t tell you much about that right now.”
With Bea’s pressing schedule in mind, I ask her one last question - to reflect on her progress and offer some creative insight. “I think (over time) I’ve improved a lot as a photographer, but I’ve also become more and more critical and meticulous. The more the times passes, the more I think I have to improve. I’m becoming extremely hard to please. This is good, but I sometimes feel like I’ve lost a bit of instinct. A bit of spontaneity.” answers Bea, with her characteristic wry honesty. “I’m not that old and wise, but in my opinion one of the best ways to learn and to find your way is with experience and hard work. So do things. YOLO.”
Images courtesy of Bea De Giacomo and PITCH
Published in PITCH Zine Issue# 26, April 2014