Franco Donaggio
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Italian, born 1958
Projects/Portfolios
BEFORE THE DAWN
Introduction
“Before the Dawn” was created between 2007 and 2009.
This series includes 40 images:
edition of 5, printed with pigments on archival paper 16x21 inch, - 1,30 inch of white border included - numbered and signed on the back.
edition of 5, printed with pigments on archival paper 58x43,3 inch, - 2 inch of white border included - numbered and signed on the back.
Before the dawn is a descent into my semi-dark sides along a path through suspended spaces, along the breath of the night. Following the industriousness of the bee and assembling together hundreds of tiny and big elements, I have created worlds of smooth surfaces, of passing clouds. Like in huge silent theatres, matter and clouds become visual metaphors of existential research and temporal volatility. In these territories I am confronted with the search for eternity, with the immeasurable disarming grandness of this dangerous ambition. The result of this equation makes me feel lost in other worlds, like a puppeteer r of my fears in a silent and endless space, alone, as in the most important moments of the beginning and the end of life. The hurried actors of my scenarios walk fast towards other theatres, squeezed by spaces which are as enormous as the immense bigness of my ambitions of knowledge. They move beyond the borders into an earthly time, within another dimension where the connotation of a real existence dissolves into a big plasma of chances and chaos, like in a dream, like in my being obsessed by the existential question. And by the
awareness of limit…
Joel Soroka Gallery, Aspen, CO, United States
Before the Dawn, Photographs by Franco Donaggio. Essay by Maiter Ferrario, Galleria Wabi, Milan, 2009
Before the Dawn, Photographs by Franco Donaggio. Essay by Roberto Mutti, ASAV- Associazione Seriatese arti visive, Seriate, Italy, 2008
Artist Statement
I have been working since 1980 as a professional photographer and creative in advertising.
Since 1995 I have been carrying out very carefully fine art photography projects to be sold in the market of art collecting.
I always do my best to carry out my personal projects by employing the most suitable expressive technique, in total freedom and without following any trend fashion or temporary current.
In my artist dimension, the photographic medium is used like the the scalpel of the surgeon to incise daily life searching for hidden places in my mental territories, where echoes of real world arrive filtered. Here the photographic reality is nearly forgotten and replaced by something else…
Franco Donaggio was born in Chioggia, in the province of Venice, in 1958.
In 1979 Donaggio moved to Milan, where he began working creatively in the
in the field of advertising and graphic design. In 1980 he opened his own
photographic studio in the city. His high skill and constant experimentation
in all the darkroom and shooting techniques soon lead the author to study
in depth new aesthetic languages, which constantly renew his professional
and creative level. In 1992 he is awarded the 'Grand Prix Italia' for
still life photography. In 1995 he realizes his first major project called
‘Metaportraits’, thanks to which he wins the Italian ‘Kodak Gold Award’ for
creativity portrait in 1996. At the same time, he is invited to carry out several
creative prestigious projects like calendars, brochures and advertising
campaigns for national and international business companies. Donaggio
dedicates himself more and more to fine art photography and starts a close
collaboration with ‘Joel Soroka Gallery’ in Aspen, which represents him for
the North American sales collection market. Since then, he has attended the
principal photo art trade fairs through the United States such as ‘Photo LA’,
Los Angeles, ‘Aipad show’, New York, ‘Art FAir Chicago’. Donaggio’s fine art
works have been exhibited in numerous Italian, European and North American
galleries and museums and some of his photographs are included in several
public and private art collections.
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