Mag Aprile 2012 PDF - Mag Magazine

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52
apr feb12 12
amici dei musei
Donna allo specchio
Matrimonio
Una storia per immagini
Monsignor Calogero Franchina nasce a Tortorici
nel 1876 e muore nel 1946; personaggio poliedrico,
per motivi teologici si reca nella Parigi
artisti, quella Parigi che solo da alcuni decenni ha dato i
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de interesse e passione nel nostro giovane ecclesiastico, lo
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terà con sé tornando nel paese natio.
Con questi apparecchi a banco ottico, egli riprenderà il
mondo davanti i suoi occhi curiosi e indagatori, immortalando
luoghi, persone, storie della sua terra natale.
‘900; lo sostituirà in seguito la nipote prediletta Mariettina
La sua opera assume un grande valore perché egli riesce a
immortalare una società millenaria tradizionale e immobile
nel tempo; destinata a scomparire del tutto nel secondo
dopoguerra dietro la spinta aggressiva della società indu-
storico utile alla ricostruzione e allo studio di una identità
che appartiene al passato recente e che può dare forza,
orgoglio e senso di appartenenza a tutti coloro che oggi
rappresentano gli eredi di quel mondo scomparso, ossia
tutti noi.
The number of the photographs is remarka- his pictures; he is outstanding in making portraits,
ble, amounting to 38 thousand plates and 2 capturing the true essence of the subjects taken,
making them play the role of themselves on the
The pictures can be divided in two main genres:
portrait photography and reportage or documentary
photography.
thousand photographs about) has been examined. extraordinary stage of that microcosm now estin-
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So a lot of work has yet to be done to rescue, resto- guished. He shot every social class indiscriminately, ase and popularize as much as possible this local,
from the peasant to the intellectual.
but at the same time national, heritage of art and
Calogero Franchina has proved to be a master of
culture, so to allow people to become aware of
photographical language, anticipating the giants of customs of that community, conveying to every sin- their cultural roots, looking into a past chronolo-
nineteenth century photography; his pictures pay gle image the originality and beauty characterizing gically recent but culturally distant, in the hope of
attention to every single detail with such a skill his whole work.
arousing in everyone a greater sense of social and
even in the perspective and the use of light. The images are undoubtedly interesting from a cultural belonging, rediscovering common historical
He completely mastered the communication lan- semiotic and expressive point of view since the ob- roots.
guage of the images he “built”; I am using inten-
For this reason, it is born the Ethno-Photography
tionally the term “to build”, since nothing is left to analysis, or he can go beyond grasping hidden and Museum Franchina-Letizia; it couldn’t but be born
chance in his works and everything has a precise more complex meanings.
in the village of Tortorici, being the natural setting
meaning.
The photographs tell their author more than the of such countless images, where it is still possible
It is a true pleasure to look at and interpret both the subjects taken; his style and aesthetics, in fact, are to breathe the atmosphere which inspired our pho-
emotions and messages he communicates through always recognizable, showing his personality. tographer.