Giovanna Petrocchi
Giovanna Petrocchi
Camouflage, from Zone of Proximity, 2015
Giclée print on Photo Rag paper
20 x 30 cm
Edition of 10 + 2AP
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About this Work
Petrocchi’s creative process begins with the research of background prior to the subject. ‘The initial step of my process is usually finding the right background, or canvas, if we think of the final collage as a painting made of paper cut-outs’, the artist explains. In this image, the backdrop belongs to a cropped detail of a Max Ernst’s painting found online. This has been digitally enlarged, to the point that the original artwork becomes hardly recognisable. Petrocchi tends to prefer ambiguous and abstract imagery as the basis of her composition. The figure depicted here is an organic hybrid of a plant and an animal, while the ’body' is made up of a cut-out of a rock and the ‘paws’ are in fact two red bushes. The title of the work, Camouflage aims to stress this metamorphic aspect.
About Giovanna Petrocchi
Zone of Proximity hints at a distant paradisiacal terrain. The imaginary landscapes, at once familiar and foreign, are inspired by surrealist paintings, virtual realities and ancient cultures. Through this collection of landscapes the artist investigates and defines our associations with place and experience, one that is both visual and instinctive. In subverting the lines between real and imagined, the artist aims to question the visibility of the landscape we inhabit and create an opening for new narratives to form. Combining found photography, magazines, and personal photographs, Petrocchi creates collages that encourage our imagination to roam outside the conventional idea of what a photograph is or should be. Converting the handmade collages into a photograph emphasizes the contrast between the three- dimensional nature of the collage and the smooth surface of the print.
Education
2017- 2019 MA Visual Arts Printmaking, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL, London, UK
2012- 2015 BA (Hons) Photography, London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, UK
2012 Professional Photography and Academic Portfolio, Central Saint Martins
Awards and Residencies
2019
TPG New Talent, The Photographers’ Gallery, London
In-Ruins Residency, Parco Scolacium, Borgia, Italy
2017
LensCulture Emerging Talent Award- Winner (Jurors' Pick)
2016
Flash Forward winner, Magenta Foundation, UK
2015
Flowers Gallery Mentorship Award
2014
Ritratto a Mano, Ex Convento delle Clarisse, Caramanico Terme (PE), Italy
Exhibitions
2019
TPG New Talent, The Photographers’ Gallery, London
Degree show, MA Visual Arts, Camberwell College of Arts, London
2018
Photoworks present 'Collaborate', Truman Brewery, London
LensCulture Emerging Talent Award, Klompching Gallery, New York
URL/IRL Love, Muddy Yard, London
2016
Zone of Proximity (solo show), MMX Gallery, London, UK
Magenta Foundation, Flash Forward 2016, Division Gallery, Toronto
Self-published book "Touched", part of Paper | Publication | Performance, Lychee One Gallery, London
The Other Art Fair, 7-10 April, Victoria House, London
2015
Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
Psyche Valuations, White Conduit Projects, London
BA (Hons) Photography Graduate Show, London College of Communication, London
2014
Ritratto a Mano, Ex Convento delle Clarisse, Caramanico Terme (PE), Italy
Touched, Book Launch, The Draft House Battersea, London
A Fragment of Time in its Pure State, The Nursery Gallery, London
2013
The Poetics of Space, London College of Communication
UNBOUND, Embassy Tea Gallery, London
BOUND, Book Launch, The Blacksmith and The Toffee Maker, London