Gaetano Luisi

Nella bocca di una lupa di mare

Sep 01, 2022

Gaetano is an Italian musician and photographer inspired obviously by music, dreams and the sea. In his series ‘Nella bocca di una lupa di mare’, Gaetano portrays the Adriatic coast covered in fog as a way to reflect on his dreams and memories, but also to raise awareness on climate change, since this phenomenon used to happen briefly during spring, and now it can happen at strange times during the year when warm winds meet the cold sea water.

First of all thank you very much for your contribution to our project. Can you please introduce yourself for us?

I come from Southern Italy; I live in Monopoli, a small town in Puglia overlooking the Adriatic sea. I'm a self- taught photographer and lately I’ve been trying to finalise some of the projects I started a while ago.

How did you start in photography?

It just happened! I am also a musician and when I started with photography, the only thing that I was looking for was to experiment with something different, through a medium that was totally new for me. I started without even having a camera, I used to “play” with one of my friends’ camera, when he brought it with him to capture some memories. Then somebody offered me an old film camera from the ‘70s and soon after that, some friends of mine who played in a band asked me to take some pictures of them to promote their first album. It was a great experience and we had so much fun. Since then, 14 years have passed and photography has become a very important part of my life.

What is 'Nella bocca di una lupa di mare’ about?

In short, this project shows the intimate soul of a little known Puglia, wrapped in a dreamlike and melancholy atmosphere. The Adriatic coast sometimes gets swallowed by a strange fog which here in Southern Italy is commonly known as Lupa (she-wolf). It's a rare phenomenon in this area. It arises from the passing of warm winds on the still cold sea. Usually it happens in spring and it doesn’t last long, but with the sudden climate change that we are experiencing today, it can exceptionally appear in other periods of the year. I've been waiting her for a long time in the most unusual times to find myself there in front of the sea to experience that magic. Always taken by surprise by her arrival, I decided to make both black/white and colour images coexist, bringing to life a perfect dialogue between my different moods.

What inspires your work in general?

Memories, dreams and imagination, which I gather everywhere around me, including those places where I can enjoy the silence as if it were music. And of course, music itself, cinema, the sea are all sources of inspiration for me. I can barely imagine my life far away from the sea.

Who are your favourite photographers / artists?

It’s hard to choose only a few, the list is very long and for sure there would be some I would forget to mention. My favourite artists are: Sarah Moon, Todd Hido, Nan Goldin, Saul Leiter, Daisuke Yokota, and I would also add Vincent Gallo e David Lynch.

Artistically, what are your plans for the future?

I would like to publish a book with my pictures and finish all my projects that are still in the making, to start new ones that are already in my mind.

What is your favourite photobook?

My favourite photobook is “1.2.3.4.5.” by Sarah Moon.

Thank you very much for your time and your contribution to analog magazine.

Thank you