By Roberto Roberti
Introduction: Photography Between Art and Mechanics
My photographic journey is deeply intertwined with my love for painting and the graphic arts. To this day, many photographic circles still harbor a sense of inferiority compared to “higher” arts like cinema or literature. We often get lost in the debate over the reproducibility of a photograph versus the uniqueness of a canvas, forgetting that art does not reside in the medium, but in the vision.
The Lesson of Pictorialism
The first attempt to overcome this boundary occurred with Pictorialism at the end of the 19th century (Gustave Le Gray, Alfred Stieglitz). This movement utilized artisanal techniques to liberate photography from the accusation of being a mere industrial process. In my view, if many photographers struggle to find their own voice today, it is due to a lack of:
- A holistic vision: All arts constantly influence one another.
- A conscious poetic: Developing a personal style is vastly different from simply copying the latest trendy filter.
My Research: Between Japanese Aesthetics and Romanticism
In my black-and-white landscape photography, I do not seek geographical documentation, but rather an inner resonance through two pillars:
1. Yūgen and Negative Space
The Japanese concept of Yūgen refers to that which is mysterious, “dimly dark,” or profound. In photography, this translates into the use of negative space. It is not merely “empty,” but an active element that allows the viewer’s mind to complete the image. A dense fog is not a lack of information; it is an invitation to the imagination.
2. The Sublime and Transcendent Nature
I draw inspiration from the Romantic Sublime (Edmund Burke): that feeling of “delightful horror” experienced before the majesty of nature. This concept aligns perfectly with Japanese Shintoism, where the landscape is considered sacred. Photography thus becomes a spiritual exercise—a way to connect with something greater than ourselves.
Technical Insight: The Art of Printing and Vision
The Magic of Platinum-Palladium Printing
To close the creative circle, I return to ancient techniques. Platinum-Palladium printing on Japanese Washi paper is not a mere reproduction:
- Matter: The image becomes part of the paper’s fibers; it does not simply sit on the surface.
- Rendering: It offers a tonal range and depth in the shadows that digital media cannot emulate, creating a unique physical object.
Compositional Methodologies
- Sumi-e Minimalism: Exalting the subject through simplicity.
- Wabi-Sabi: Focusing on the texture of a trunk or rock to highlight the “beauty of impermanence.”
- Golden Spiral: A pictorial device used to bestow ancestral harmony upon mountain peaks.
- Infrared: To grant drama to the skies and symbolically exalt the life force of plants.
Conclusion
Landscape photography is a meeting point between East and West. I hope this article serves as a stimulus to look beyond the viewfinder, searching not for the “beautiful place,” but for the “feeling of the place.” Only by releasing the poetry we hold within can our photography finally become a true work of art.
Roberto Roberti Photography 