Massimo Vitali: Landscape with Figures

"Landscape with Figures" is a photobook by Italian photographer Massimo Vitali. It compiles his representative series, which takes an overhead perspective of contemporary leisure scenes at beaches, pools, and ski resorts around the world.

Vitali transitioned to working with a large-format camera in the mid-1990s, establishing a unique style that captures both people and their environment from a high vantage point. This book includes works shot from 1994 to 2003, expanding its subjects to various locations beyond beaches and discos, such as ski resorts and swimming pools.

The images feature countless individuals, each engrossed in their own activities, depicted in vivid detail. While seemingly ordinary daily scenes at first glance, their density and sense of distance create a subtle feeling of being slightly removed from reality. People and landscapes are placed on the same plane without conflict, and individual behaviors and the overall structure are loosely connected.

With a background in photojournalism and film, Vitali's gaze navigates between documentation and staging, quietly reflecting the nature of "leisure" in contemporary society. His works, with their vast amount of information and consistent perspective, continually draw the viewer's gaze into the frame.

[Title] Landscape with Figures
[Publisher] Steidl
[Publication Date] 2004
[Pages] 224 pages
[Size] Approx. 392*311*29mm / 2,945g
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] English
[Title Reading] Landscape with Figures
[Author/Editor] Massimo Vitali/Authored
[Printing] -
[ISBN] 3882439122
[Condition] Used 【3】Fair (Cover dents, some tears and minor fading, creased endpapers)
[Accessories] None
[Featured in] -
[Related Exhibitions] -

Massimo Vitali (Massimo Vitali) 1944-

Born in Como, Italy, in 1944. Photographer.
Graduated from the London College of Printing (now London College of Communication) in 1964. Began working as a photojournalist in the 1970s, then pursued a career as a cinematographer for advertising and fiction films. Shifted his focus to photographic expression in the early 1990s, and began working with large-format cameras in 1993.

In 1994, he started a series with beaches as its theme. Combining an overhead perspective from a high vantage point with high-definition depiction using large-format film, he gained international recognition for his works that capture the behavior of people gathered in leisure spaces down to the finest detail. In addition to beaches, he continuously photographs places that symbolize modern leisure, such as swimming pools, ski resorts, and discos.

His works are exhibited and collected in museums around the world, including the Guggenheim Museum, the Centre Pompidou, and the Reina Sofía Museum. He is currently based in Lucca, Italy.

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