Drawn to the juxtapositions of urban spaces and desolate regions alike, photographer Luca Battaglia illuminates the distinctive characteristics of places. “I do not claim—nor do I ever say—that I am an architectural photographer,” he says in a statement. “When asked, I say that I am a photographer of places, of voids.” From the expanses of the American Southwest to images of New York City that revel in quietude rather than its signature boisterousness, built environments are a well of inspiration.
In his ongoing series Ticket non remboursable (“non-refundable ticket”), Battaglia creates bold portraits of carousels in city squares and parks across Europe. The advent of these iconic amusement rides can be traced back to the medieval tradition of jousting, which involved horses, of course, plus a lot of pomp and fanfare. By the late 17th century, official royal jousts became of a thing of the past, but by the late 18th century, mechanical carousels hit the scene featuring bedecked equines and many of the visual elements associated with jousting tournaments. Over the next century or so, these entertainments evolved into meticulous examples of craftsmanship with painted, hand-carved elements.
For Battalgia, this centuries-old tradition represents a kind of timelessness that makes for powerful nostalgia. Growing up in Milan, he fondly remembers a carousel he used to encounter as a child, although it has since disappeared. “The project began with my fascination for carousels, not simply as attractions, but as objects connected to memory, childhood, movement, and the transformation of public space,” the artist tells Colossal. “I photograph them using long exposures, trying to move away from their literal appearance and reveal something more abstract and suspended.” An everyday sight in many city’s public parks and plazas is transformed into something otherworldly.
Ornamentation and specific characters blur into abstract patterns of rotating lights and an emphasis on the top, making the structures almost UFO-like. “Technically, I usually work with an ND256 or ND1000 neutral density filter, which allows me to make exposures of approximately 20 to 30 seconds,” Battaglia says. “During this time, the movement of the carousel traces lines across the photograph: the structure partly disappears, while light, colour, and movement create a new image.”
See more on the artist’s Instagram.
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