ABOUT

‘Ballad of the Woods and Wounds’ brings us to the Monferrato and Roero Woods that besiege the commune of Cocconato d’Asti in northern Italy. The Monferrato region is located just a few miles away from one of the most COVID-19 affected areas in the country. In the search for headspace and tranquillity during the global crisis, Tomaso Clavarino returns to his hometown and explores his relationship with the place.

Clavarino’s photographs operate within the constraints of imposed confinement and show a re-discovered bond between himself and the local nature. The images, captured between 9 March to 18 May 2020, are defined by warm tones and show traces of human presence. Interestingly, all the images appear to be shot at a similar time of the day – the golden hour, shortly before the sunset. In the book, this feeling is additionally heightened by the choice of yellowish paper further enhancing the warmth vibrating from the photographs.

The images are accompanied by Patrizio Anastasi’s illustrations: monochromatic line drawings printed on a transparent paper. Anastasi’s illustrations explore the connection between humans and nature while questioning how much more can we take as living beings? Despite the apparent difference between the two visual languages, there is an underlying dialogue between the images and the illustrations which provide a sense of rhythm and resemblance when flipping the pages.