Interview of Photographer Giovanni Gastel on the Impact of Italian History on his work (part 2)

One of the most respected photographers in Italy, Giovanni Gastel's work deals with the importance of memory and how creativity connects human beings across time and space. A photographer and poet, he invites his viewers to enter a dreamlike world, letting go of reality and profoundly connecting with themselves and with Nature.
In October 2020, The Selects Gallery interviewed Giovanni Gastel to provide access to the photographer's world and vision. Gastel shared his artistic approach, upbringing and personal history, and insights on the world at large in his very own way: light yet insightful, humorous yet profound. They demonstrate the depth and diversity of Giovanni's character and work.
He shared: "You have to try to live as much as possible for your enthusiasm, to be in contact with beauty. There is not only the disease. There is not only the horror. There is beauty." The gallery hopes this message and others in the interview will illuminate his creative world.
In "Giovanni Gastel on the Impact of Italian History on his work," Giovanni Gastel discusses his upbringing. As a member of the Visconti family, he had a beautiful and sheltered childhood. When he came of age, he experienced the tumultuous "Years of Lead," a period of extreme violence in Italy. It had a profound impact on his perception of the "outside world" and his work.
Discover the additional interviews:
1. "Giovanni Gastel on his Quest for Elegance,"
2. "Giovanni Gastel on the Impact of Italian History on his work,"
3. "Giovanni Gastel on the Influence of his uncle Luchino Visconti,"
4. "Giovanni Gastel on the series Fallen Angel,"
5. "Giovanni Gastel on the series Metamorphosis."
Giovanni Gastel will be greatly missed, and many tributes are being made by the art and fashion world. His legacy is profound and impactful, as shown in this interview.
ABOUT GIOVANNI GASTEL
Gastel was born in Milan on 27th December 1955 to Giuseppe Gastel and Ida Visconti di Modrone. His uncle, famous film director Luchino Visconti, taught Giovanni about the creative method and inspired him to pursue art.
Gastel had his first taste of photography in the 1970s. The moment marked the start of a long apprenticeship that continued when he was offered the chance to work for Christie's in 1975-76. The turning point came in 1981 when he met Carla Ghiglieri, who became his agent, and introduced him to the fashion world. Following the appearance of his first still lives in the magazine Annabella in 1982, he began to work with Vogue Italia and then, following his meeting with Flavio Lucchini, the editor of Edimoda, and Gisella Borioli, for the magazines Mondo Uomo and legendary Donna.
In 1997, the Milan Triennale gave him a solo exhibition curated by Germano Celant. His professional success consolidated a decade later when his name appeared alongside other prominent photographers like Oliviero Toscani, Giampaolo Barbieri and Ferdinando Scianna, Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino, and Jürgen Teller.
ABOUT THE SELECTS GALLERY:
The Selects Gallery is the premier online destination for large-scale, museum-quality, Art photography from the world's best fashion photographers. Our exclusive curation brings back to life hundreds of the most striking images from the archives of renowned photographers published in top international publications such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, W, Numéro, and more.
Produced by Marie Audier D’Alessandris and Kaila Basile
Edited by Kaila Basile
Thank you to Image Service S.r.l., Isabel Guardans, Majka Lamprecht, Luisa Radice Fossati, and Hinda Siberfeld for your support of this project.
Music: Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, 'L'inverno' (Winter) via MusOpen
“La storia di Villa Gastel | Lake Como Ville” via Pinterest
“Villa Gastel” via Eventoile
“Villa Gastel Visconti” via Pinterest
“Villa Gastel” via Eventoile
Untilted via Gianni Giansanti/Associated Press
Untilted via The Economist
“Aftermath of explosion in Piazza Navona, Milan 1969” by Unknown
“Black Forest” by Giovanni Gastel via The Selects Gallery
“Venaria Reale” by Giovanni Gastel via The Selects Gallery