Art and photography have an endless universe. Artists are talented people who can capture the air of times or a simple moment of beauty. This month, discover Mr. Sebastiano Vitale and his project called The Raw Horse. A magnificent moment of timeless beauty.
The Raw project is a series of fine prints in a very limited edition, photographic objects and sculptures, for galleries and collectors. Sebastiano Vitale is the photograph and the concept creator for this project. His aim was to create a “hymn to the relationship between the horse and the human being.”
5 main chapters are written within the project from Mongolia to Iceland, towards Italy, Spain, Argentina, Brazil and USA. Sebastiano Vitale captured the essence of today’s life interaction between Horses and men. All Horses lovers will be fascinate with this artwork. It is also in a way, a quest for reconnection with nature. The only way men will live in peace with the planet is to feel truly part of it.
There is also something very noble in the horse. Its symbol reflects many important topics as honor, loyalty, elegance, bravery, together hood … Many feelings that can be so inspiring for humans.
Here below are some selected photographic work, to give you a hint of Sebastiano Vitale work.
In order to understand better what and who is behind this project, here is an exclusive interview for Luxuryactivist.com, that will give you a deeper understanding of this outstanding work.
About the Raw Horse project:
LuxuryActivist (LA): What was the inspiration to start the Raw Horse project ?
Sebastiano Vitale (SV): I grew up in the nature and i have a profound respect for animals of any kind. Horses are simply beautiful friends and wise advisors. I was shooting for a magazine, a project about Polo in Argentina, I was living in Buenos Aires at the time. I was shooting with a kind of editorial approach when naturally I started to get a bit crazy with the camera. I couldn’t stop. I realized that horses can be a kind of metaphor for ancestral human feelings like happiness, sadness, freedom, fear, love, and I realized that horses are in immense world to explore, both visually and geographically. And again I couldn’t stop. At the moment i shot in Argentina, Poland, UK, Italy, USA, soon will be the time for Mongolia, Iceland, UAE, and more and more. The Raw Horse took shape as series of limited edition prints for galleries and exhibitions, and of course a limited edition big size art book, currently in development.
LA: Horses are a very popular theme, what is new in your approach of such an universal theme?
SV: Horses are a great source of inspiration, and equine art is a world itself, people like Tim Flach or Arthus-Bertrand did masterpieces. At the same time amongst the horse photographers is quite difficult to find a personal style and an artistic approach where images and subjects become a visual gate to something else. I try to work exactly on this aspect, using the horses as metaphors, and their beauty as magnetic attraction for the viewer. I don’t think my approach is new, or special, it is simply my approach, it is completely spontaneous and kind of wild and free.
LA: What kind of material did you use (any special camera or lens)?
SV: I use an average camera, a normal canon, with a normal lens, no tele, no zoom. I work a little bit on postproduction of course, i want the result to be in between naif paintings, photography, expressionism. I often use movement and blur, any camera can do it. I even like sometimes to use not professional cameras.
LA: Do you have a preferred photo ? If yes why so?
SV: I like a bunch of them particularly but I am a friend of all of the chosen for the project. Some are better than others visually speaking, but some reminds me to incredible moments i experienced, and I want the public to feel something through my memories, anything. The Raw Horse consists of a number of shots, few of them are selected as limited edition prints for galleries. I could say those are my favorites.
About the artist, Sebastiano Vitale:
LA: How did the passion for photography come to you ?
SV: I work in visual arts, media and communication since more than 15 years. I did everything, as artist or managing other people’s work, producing, whatever. My life changed in Bolivia, helping a friend, Marco Vernaschi, a well known photographer, to shoot a project about cocaine production. We were two guys in the jungle and lots of fun and risks around. I was shooting videos, I realized that being in the middle of nowhere telling stories is a great life. I did a bit of video journalism, but i was feeling much more confident with photography, even if I have to confess that is few years that I began with photos, but it took less than a day to learn, and it was so incredibly natural that I suddenly understood that photography was the thing I was looking for while constantly mixing media as I was doing in the past.
LA: How would you describe your style as a photographer?
SV: I have no idea where to put a light or a tripod, while I am a kind of street animal. I just go out and have fun with the story I am working on. Shooting takes one second, preparing the shooting is the real deal. Researching subjects, getting familiar with the people around it, getting confidence and permissions, teasing the subject, disappearing in the context and let the flow work for you… With the horses is the same, and it is fun. I can’t work in a studio and I need a great reason to shoot a landscape (actually I did it recently in New Mexico and I had unexpected fun), I dive into stories and I explore contexts. I think that photos visually represent my approach and my point of view on this planet.
LA: What are your inspirations in general?
SV: Way too many. Lately I am much more inspired by meaningless and simple things than by masterpieces. Little stories, moments, any kind of human beings, dogs, wine, food. I am a believer of late wake up and great ideas come out often in bed while fighting with the morning.
LA: What do you think about Internet as a mean to communicate your art?
SV: Art has always been together with history and media. Who knows what Mozart or Cezanne could have done with internet, both in terms of concept and distribution of their work. I love mass distribution, I love reaching a global audience, I love getting in touch with people everywhere on this planet. Internet is the gateway to this. The Raw Horse is possible only because of the energy, collaborations and word of mouth generated by chance on Facebook. I took planes to meet or work with people that I never met before, Facebook fan or friends that like what I do to the point of working together. It has been a huge surprise, and the sky is the limit to what we can do while drinking a glass of wine at home having fun on internet.
LA: What future projects are you working now that you could tell us about?
SV: I am working on two other photography projects, one is about ghosts and haunted places, it will be a book, while the other is called Surrealia and it is a collection of totally weird unreal moments I experienced while shooting for projects. But I have also Cocaland, a powerful live show, a concert where music goes together with projections of videos i shot with cocaine producers and with the special force against narcotraffic in Bolivia, an actor read a text written for the show by a former cocaine producer. It is quite tough. Music goes from acoustic techno to punk jazz, from cumbia to psychedelic latin. I did the videos and I play guitar in the band. It is great fun… Coming soon to USA and UK.
If you wish to know more about this project, please visit the official website:
http://therawhorse.com
Or you can also join the facebook community here:
https://www.facebook.com/polo.shot
We would like to thanks Mr Vitale in person for his time and dedication to this article.
LA
Info sourced at the artist official project website and exclusive interview. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.
