Paolo Gioli

Published in 1987 by Canal Publishing, this volume serves as a significant monograph documenting the experimental photographic and cinematic work of Paolo Gioli. Gioli was a pivotal figure in the Italian avant-garde movement, known for his relentless exploration of the mechanical nature of the camera and his innovative techniques, such as the use of pinhole cameras and the physical manipulation of Polaroid film to blur the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and photography.

The book captures the aesthetic sensibilities of the late twentieth-century Italian art scene, emphasizing Gioli’s fascination with the 'primitive' eye and the human figure. Designed to showcase his hybrid visual language, the publication was well-received within circles of photography historians and contemporary art critics who sought to understand his departure from traditional documentary photography in favor of a tactile, often haunting, exploration of the image-making process.