Giacomo Brunelli: New York

Article: Christopher George

Giacomo Brunelli's New York series belongs to a long and rich photographic tradition of celebrated  photographers (William Klein, Paul Strand, Berenice Abbott) who brought a new visual intensity and originality to photographing the city. 

New York is the result of Brunelli's constant walking, often for ten hours a day, chancing upon particular things that sparked his interest be that the shape of a hat, a piece of clothing or demeanour of a person. Adopting the position of voyeur or spy, he follows his prey until he alights on the right time to create the image. Brunelli's aesthetic is personal, inspired by a film-noir sense of disquietude.

By pushing the lens to the closest point of focus, almost touching the subject, he suggests a very close intimacy with these strangers, whilst at the same time respecting their anonymity. ​

Brunelli shoots and processes in a classical style of photography that has become rare in recent times, photographing with a 1962 Miranda and printing in his darkroom. 

Such texture has been crated with Brunelli's distant voyeuristic and graphic black and white images - Bringing back to life a New York photographic art and style. 

Giacomo Brunelli