SIMPLE LIFE by Elvis Di Fazio

A KALTBLUT exclusive male model feature starring World Natural Physique Champion Nicholas Gala. Photography by Elvis Di Fazio.

Simple life – Artist statement:

Is a story I created, casting world natural, physique Champion, Nicholas Gala. I first met Nic almost a year ago when I scouted him at a local gym, working out with his partner Sedona. After trading contacts, establishing a connection and being offered the chance to shoot in outback Australia, I took the opportunity to arrange a photo session with the athlete.

I Noticed that Nicholas by nature is quite the perfectionist and is the kind of person who is punctual, professional, well-manicured, regimented and driven to accomplish the best in all areas of this life. The name of the story, “A simple life” as a definition is a manner of living, in which a person doesn’t own many things or use many modern machines, often lives far away from the hustle & bustle of the city, in a small cabin and enjoys the “simple life.” as their ultimate existence.

With this work, I wanted to express a sense of playful irony, by casting pro-physique, champion Gala. For the project, I created a new narrative via the series of images showing Nicholas doing sweet nothing, all the while looking casually monumental yet Australiana in his appeal.

Nicolas, in truth, is Australian BUT of Greek heritage, sadly the heroes of Australia’s past are often presented to us as caucasian English settlers. In our current climate, we are rewriting that narrative because, in reality, Australia is a melting pot of culture, these times make it more relevant than ever to change how that narrative appears as a representation.

This work illustrates how we could in effect, enjoy creating new humorous cliche by revisited classic fundamentals and reinvented them as they are outdated and are no longer representative of Australia as a people or culture.

The lifestyle ideology, alongside Galas’s striking looks and unattainable physique, represents the idea of a simple life as nothing more than an unrealistic ideal to aspire to. Essentially to operate in society there is no such thing as a “simple life”, perhaps a reality for our indigenous people but currently just an idea to throw around, a means of simply stripping back our life to the bare necessities.

This work for me is a homage to the “wogs”, the unsung hard-working outcasts, the heroes and migrants of this land, that have in reality been living in Australia as long as our English settlers. Those same “wogs” who have been misrepresented, downplayed or overlooked, the people who have played an important and integral role in forging the way for all who call Australia home today.