We’re meeting today with the Italian-born Pasquale Autorino, who managed to catch our attention ever so swiftly through his astonishing eye for composition, visual poetry, and an idiosyncratic pictorial system of photography. Defining himself as a “Visionary Of The Unconscious”, his vision is categorised by a mystic component which flourishes throughout his body of work.
Among his key inspirations, we discover that mysticism appears to manifest whilst he dreams, alongside the Freudian instincts of Life and Death (in ancient Greek, epitomised as Eros and Thanatos), both of which hover in his head restlessly. Darkness, mystery, melancholy, narcissism, and romanticism: an awe-inspiring oxymoron of feelings, constituting just a few of the idyllic approaches that characterise his quixotic thinking.
Besides, a crucial hue which never fails to be present within his conceptions is silver. The reason? Yet, an unfathomable reference according to the artist. We’re meeting today with the Italian-born Pasquale Autorino, who managed to catch our attention ever so swiftly through his astonishing eye for composition, visual poetry, and an idiosyncratic pictorial system of photography. Defining himself as a “Visionary Of The Unconscious”, his vision is categorised by a mystic component which flourishes throughout his body of work. Among his key inspirations, we discover that mysticism appears to manifest whilst he dreams, alongside the Freudian instincts of Life and Death (in ancient Greek, epitomised as Eros and Thanatos), both of which hover in his head restlessly. Darkness, mystery, melancholy, narcissism, and romanticism: an awe-inspiring oxymoron of feelings, constituting just a few of the idyllic approaches that characterise his quixotic thinking. Besides, a crucial hue which never fails to be present within his conceptions is silver. The reason? Yet, an unfathomable reference according to the artist.
Craving for more? It’s time to delve into a baffling yet gripping dimension.
“My photographs are a representation of my experiences: they act as a memory and as a direct channel between the past and my present state of being. They lead to a path of spiritual cognizance and intrinsic growth, which allows me to create tales of realities that are often obsolete.” – Pasquale Autorino.
KALTBLUT: Hi Pasquale! Could you briefly introduce yourself to us?
Pasquale Autorino: Let’s start with the world grey. When I describe myself, I never fail to associate my persona in this colour. It represents the undefined sphere of what administers my world, counting in the uncertainty and gradations of what it is. How do I see myself? Well, simply concentrated on my introspective vision, but at the same time projected towards the outside world.
KALTBLUT: If you could describe yourself in four words, what would they be?
Pasquale Autorino: I am a profoundly introverted, hypersensitive, romantic, and melancholic person. My photography reflects in my whole being: it’s restless, introspective, mystical and romantic.
KALTBLUT: What particularly pushed you to pursue photography?
Pasquale: The cyclical, repetitive and constant trend of time has always given me a little margin of breath. The speed according to which the world moves has often made me feel at the mercy of events. I needed to stop and encapsulate something eternal. Photography has allowed me to achieve so. It has given me the ability to immortalize without pressure.
KALTBLUT: You label yourself as a “Visionary of The Unconscious.” How come? What is it that grips you to explore such vision in your work?
Pasquale: My photographs are a representation of my experience: they act as a memory and as a direct channel between my past and my present. They allow me to add missing fragments to my past. A path of awareness and individual growth that allows me to create stories of truths that are often obsolete.
KALTBLUT: What influences your photographic practice?
Pasquale: Perhaps, I may dare say the every-day life. I tend to welcome all the inspirations from the outside world which could be a scene from a film, a landscape seen when sat on a train, or an interesting face of a random person. Though, my creative process always starts from my dreams.
KALTBLUT: What are the most recent topics researched in your photographs?
Pasquale: A micro-universe governed by mixed feelings, impossible loves, uneasiness and missed
opportunities.
KALTBLUT: Why do you feel an urge to exploring this field?
Pasquale: Photography is more than just a necessity for me: it’s my only creative outlet. I shoot to fashion my thoughts visually. My aim is to transmit feelings and moods and I would help other people through what I do.
KALTBLUT: Did any specific moments in your life influence your photography?
Pasquale: I didn’t know what “happiness” meant until I gained awareness of how to explain my pain. Since my early days, I have always preferred photography to tell my stories, so I could have concealed my biggest traumas. On the other side, I have learned to transmit them through my models who almost become victims of my frustrations. Thanks to the art of photography, I understand that the negative experiences combined with the positive experiences formed the artist I am now.
KALTBLUT: What are the techniques used in your work?
Pasquale: My pictures are free of any major editing. I always shot with natural light and I love it because it’s just like me, vacillating and unpredictable. I edit the brightness and contrast of the different areas of the image. Similarly, I think that good photography is balanced between shape and colour – therefore, I try to get this effect during the shot, not at home when I’m on my laptop.
KALTBLUT: Your approach to photography appears quite romantic and poignant. Are there any creative practitioners, even beyond Fashion, that stimulate you?
Pasquale: My unconditional love for art, the sublime cult of beauty, the daily satisfaction: I feel
emotions without feeling the need to hide them. However, above all, there’s an indefinable sense of wonder and powerlessness in timeless beauty. In terms of inspiration? Certainly, Man Ray, who through his vision motivated my creative path. Lana Del Rey, on the other hand, has served me as a support during the darkest periods, by always making me rediscover the strength to continue despite the downcast moments, to lull my nightmares.
KALTBLUT: How do you go about casting your models?
Pasquale: Well, my model choice represents a fundamental phase for my shots. I tend to prefer models that have an aesthetic similar to mine or that I feel close to emotionally. Therefore,
selecting a figure that can represent me is not a short or simple process: I need to get to know a person before I can photograph them because I have to empathize with them.
KALTBLUT: What are your major hopes for the future?
Pasquale: All I ask is for an inner growth that can hugely satiate my thirst for art, making it a stimulus and a source of emotion for others.
KALTBLUT: Where do you hope to take your vision?
Pasquale: As far as I possibly can.
All photos by Pasquale Autorino
Instagram: @siermond
Interview by Chidozie Obasi
Instagram: @chido.obasi
