Francesca Gnoato
“Just another Italian family” is a collection of seventeen pictures with the goal of presenting an unconventional perspective on family photography, particularly in the context of Italy. The title playfully mocks the usual Italian depiction of family because the project presents a different view on family than the mainstream idea. For years, media texts in Italy have been bombarded with images of traditional representations of nuclear families. Considering Italy is a predominantly Catholic country, depictions of families were limited to biblical families. They were typically represented as loving and joyous.
The photographer’s inner battle with these portrayals sparked the concept for the project from an Italian perspective. The goal of the project was to question the dominant mindset around family photography by demonstrating that reality can also be used to represent households. In the last decade or so, the perception of family has shifted significantly in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. Photographers from around the world approached family photography from a variety of perspectives. There is no equivalent work on family photography and representation in Italy. In the Italian context, the family structure is evolving slowly, yet inclusiveness is required in a modern country. Family albums, popular culture and media texts frequently feature families on special events, and the composition is typically relatively simple, with people posing and smiling at the camera. However, we all know that memories aren’t always pleasant, and portraying happiness and perfection all of the time is unrealistic and unproductive. The photographer’s goal is to provide a perspective on family in which everyone can identify oneself and potentially avoid stereotypes. The project is broken down into six sections. Each chapter represents a family member of the photographer. The photographer intended to illustrate how families are composed of members, hence the plurality of the photographs are of individuals rather than family unit.
Families are bound together by blood, love, and care, as well as by bitterness, habit, and obligation. When viewing the photographs, audiences are confronted with a variety of persons, none of whom are known to be related to one another. Even though they may be strangers, they are linked by the surroundings of the house that symbolise their bond. The photographers even if part of the family decided to not be included as the pictures are already a symbol of her presence. The photographers’ goal is to make the audience feel welcome. We can feel excluded by something that does not exist, such as perfect family representation. Not all families are flawless, and they don’t have to be; ideal representations are misleading, and we can sometimes find comfort in knowing that our family is no the only one that is not perfect.
Contact Francesca Gnoato
- Phone
- +39 3465950439
- francesca.gnoato@outlook.it
- Website
- https://francescagnoato.wixsite.com/ilmiosito
- @franzisca_noa