Bilingual report — Gina Santi Photography Images of the Month – July 2020

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GINA SANTI PHOTOGRAPHY

Images of the Month – July 2020

La Casa della Fontana Piccola, (the House of the Small Fountain) is perhaps the most refined and elegant mansion of Pompeii. It is a typical dwelling of the local ruling class, a small atrium house located in a privileged spot along Via di Mercurio. The house owes its name to a beautiful fountain decorated with shells, colorful mosaics, and bronze statuettes, located at the very back of the central garden. The design of the house is aligned in such a way that the stunning fountain can be seen immediately from the entrance, suggesting the high social status of the owner, Helvius Vestalis, a fruit tradesperson. In this garden, the landlord greeted his clienteles and showed off his wealth.These images are an example of visual anthropology as a way to illustrate cultural manifestations of individuals and their behaviors, an alternative way of seeing culture -art and architecture, in this case- through the camera lens. Some critics posit that visual anthropology is merely a way to add to other, more scientific research, and that it does not really contribute to the academic development of the discipline. Still, images such as these not only offer a glimpse of everyday life in Pompeii before it was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79: they also foster new research questions and analysis in the study of Pompeiian culture for other anthropologists and social scientists to ponder in their own work.

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La Casa della Fontana Piccola, (la Casa de la Pequeña Fuente) es quizás la mansión más refinada y elegante de Pompeya. Es una vivienda típica de la clase dominante local, una pequeña casa de atrio ubicada en un lugar privilegiado a lo largo de la Via di Mercurio. La casa debe su nombre a una hermosa fuente decorada con conchas, mosaicos de colores y estatuillas de bronce, ubicada en la parte posterior del jardín central. El diseño de la casa está alineado de tal manera que la impresionante fuente se puede ver inmediatamente desde la entrada, lo que sugiere el alto estatus social del propietario, Helvius Vestalis, un comerciante de frutas. En este jardín, el propietario saludaba a sus clientes y hacía alarde de su riqueza.Estas imágenes son un ejemplo de antropología visual como una forma de ilustrar las manifestaciones culturales de los individuos y sus comportamientos, una forma alternativa de ver la cultura, en este caso el arte y la arquitectura, a través del lente de la cámara. Algunos críticos afirman que la antropología visual es simplemente una forma de complementar otras investigaciones más científicas, y que en realidad no contribuye al desarrollo académico de la disciplina. Aún así, imágenes como estas no solo ofrecen una visión de la vida cotidiana en Pompeya antes de que fuera enterrada en la erupción del Vesuvio en el año 79 DC: también fomentan nuevas preguntas de investigación y análisis en el estudio de la cultura de Pompeya para que otros antropólogos y científicos sociales las consideren en su propio trabajo.

Mosaic
To view the entire July, 2020 gallery, please click on this link.
For more information, please contact  Gina@GinaSantiPhotography.com
10 movies
10 movies about photography every photographer should watch!
I hope that this non-exhaustive list of photography movies will be a source of inspiration to gain new perspectives on the work that we photographers do! Enjoy!

1) Rear Window (1954): a wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors through his camera.

2) Blow-up (1966): a fashion photographer captures a murder taking place in the background of one of his photographs.

3) Proof (1991): an assistant describes to a blind photographer the images he takes.

4) Pecker (1998): an art dealer discovers a a small town shop employee, and turns him into a photography sensation.

5) War Photographer (2001): the story of a photojournalist in pursuit of covering global conflicts.

6) City of God (2002): a boy from the favelas of Brazil grows up to become a photographer.

7) William Eggleston –In the Real World (2005). Eggleston talks about his work and his contributions to the world of photography.

8) Hand Held (2010): a photographer documents the horrors of 20th century Romania.

9) The Bang Bang Club (2010): four photographers document the Apartheid in South Africa.

10) Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters (2012). Documentary style film about the author’s creative process.

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Gina Santi is a freelance photographer born and raised in Venezuela and currently based in Tempe, Arizona. She earned her master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Northern Arizona University and has participated in various events in Northern Arizona, including the annual Celebraciones de la Gente at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Visit http://www.ginasantiphotography.com for more information.

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