ANGELO MARINO

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Another story





Photographer Angelo Marino presents his series Another Story as a part of the Berlin-based Helmut Newton Foundation new exhibition Guy Bourdin. Image Maker / Helmut Newton. A Gun for Hire / Angelo Marino. Another Story, which opens next 30 November until 13 May 2018. Angelo Marino was Helmut Newton’s former assistant and he has gone on to work with Newton’s widow June, who since 1970 worked as a photographer under the pseudonym Alice Springs. “Another Story” presents a collection of photographs that Angelo Marino took with his iPhone from his home in Cannes to his workplace in Monte Carlo, showing his personal view of his daily life. The show comprises a collection of 52 panels, each consisting of five color photographs arranged in a tableau representing one week. 


What's the concept behind "Another story"?

As I worked every day with Helmut and then with June, I realized that I didn’t do so much photo for myself. So I decided to start the challenge to do one photo by day for one year. All these single images were done between 8AM and 10AM daily, with a phone camera. I take every day the same path, the one that go from my home to my workplace, walking or by train, two hours banally repetitive, even from Cannes to Monaco. Therefore most of this work was done on the way to the train station, in the running train and from the train’s window. I constrained myself to find a way to escape from this ordinariness. My phone’s camera, 52 weeks, 5 days a week, 260 “extra-ordinary” moments that I had the providential reflex to catch. It would have made no sense to present them in their initial order, except to have one image after the other. So I took all these 52 weeks and decided to use them as a “palette”, a whole material to write “ Another Story”. 

When do you consider you are in front a good photography? 

I consider that I’m in front of a good photography when I stay more than 3 minutes looking at it. It’s very subjective but it starts with the vocabulary used as the frame, the composition, all different contrasts, the technical part. It has to be crafted spontaneously or not. It needs also an emotional response, a surprise, a question, or a new vision.

The photographs presented in "Another story" were taken with an iphone. What does the iphone give you, unlike a professional camera?

The phone camera gives me a total freedom, easy to carry, discreet, especially for street photography. I want to make a point using the tool that everybody has, it’s the world of today.

Some of the photos look like paintings. Is there a lot of postediting work? 

Thanks. No, there’s not a lot of post editing, no Photoshop. I used sometimes phone’s applications as Snapseed to enhance my vision and interpretation of reality.

Nowadays photography has become something instantaneous available to everyone. Has photography become something more banal? 

I think that Photography has become a witness of a moment, more than a trace of eternity. 

What could you explain us about your experience as an assistant to Helmut Newton? 

I have worked with several photographers at « ELLE » studios and in production. But Helmut was the only one who was shooting with just one amateur camera in    all kind of light. We travelled with only one bag and a lot of clients were very surprised. He prepared the shooting with little notes and when we were on the set, he knew exactly what he wanted and took just few frames to get it. Everything is in the head, it’s not the camera that does it. Once he told me, when one does photography it’s not to keep in the drawers but to share it with the world. So I’m sharing it.

Which other photographers do you have as a reference? 

Reference comes from everything. But I like very much Bourdin and I’m so proud to exhibit with him. I like also Avedon, Penn, Blumenfeld, Man Ray for the old ones. Gursky, Harry Gruyaert, Erwin Olaf , Meisel, Miles Aldridge and Nick Knight… and more.

What are your future projects?

Nature and Landscape with a real camera.

Could you tell us a dream that you've had while spleeping? 

I almost never remember my dreams but I prefer to dream eyes wide open.



Guy Bourdin. Image Maker
Helmut Newton. A Gun for Hire
Angelo Marino. Another Story

Opening: Thursday, 30 November 2017, 8 pm
Exhibition: 1 December 2017 – 13 May 2018
Helmut Newton Foundation 
Museum for Photography

An interview by Juan Carlos Romero
Photograph by Angelo Marino. ©+ courtesy Angelo Marino
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