Lucia Buricelli
Lucia Buricelli is a documentary-leaning street photographer hailing from Venice, Italy. Her interest in photography started in her teens and grew into a passion for color, culture, how people present themselves in public spaces and how they are perceived. Buricelli earned her degree in Graphic Design and Art Direction from the New Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. She has also studied Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism at the International Center of Photography in New York. In 2019 she was chosen by ArtPil as one of their 30 Under 30 Women Photographers. Her images have graced The New York Times, Vogue, Time, L’essenziale (to name a few).
© Lucia Buricelli
Interview by Emily Rose Larsen
I’m curious how you got into photography, can you tell me about what brought you to where you are today?
When I was 16 I started walking around Venice and photographing what was happening on the streets. I was really interested in what was happening and the challenge of capturing everything. I think that initial practice helped me because, you know, street photography is very difficult. I still go for walks to photograph every day.
© Lucia Buricelli
Your images tend to present familiar situations in a surreal way. They feel casual and playful. Was this always your style, or did it develop over time?
When I was first studying photography in school I was taught the old masters of black and white street photography and tried to emulate that. I kind of stopped for a little bit because I moved to Milan, and I didn’t find it as inspiring of a city for me.
I was going to University and I didn’t know how to make photography a job, so I started studying design. After I graduated I took a workshop in journalism photography and fell in love with it again, So I decided to go to New York and studied more at ICP. It was very, very interesting and opened up my mind. I just like to walk around and talk to people and have long conversations with them. The world is very interesting.
© Lucia Buricelli
I love how you isolate colors and patterns. Your ability to harness the chaos and color around you in a way that puts the viewer in the moment is fantastic. You also portray humor through your photographs and often “break” some of the rules of “good” photography. You give weight to things, like a raccoon scrounging for food, that others probably wouldn’t take seriously as a subject matter. Can you tell us more about how your artistic voice developed?
At ICP I discovered flash and it changed how I photographed. I also love photographers like Martin Parr and how that work is an important documentation of time. I want my work to be like that. In 20 years from now, I want you to look at them and feel like you know what it's like to be there. Like right now, how everyone is wearing masks. This is a specific time and I want people who don’t experience it to feel like they did through the pictures. Martin Parr was one of the first photographers that I love and am inspired by how he used angles and composition to make you kind of feel like you were in that moment too.
Color is also much more important to me now, especially using flash. The subject can be anything. I’m not a very technical person. I’m not worried about making perfectly technical pictures. If we all did that all the work would look the same and that is so boring and fake. I just go out and do whatever I want and don’t think about what I’m “supposed” to do. I’m more attracted to things I don’t know.
© Lucia Buricelli
Do you have any advice for someone starting out?
Find a camera you are really comfortable with and don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money on equipment. Photography is really expensive. Just find what works for you.
Did anyone ever give you some advice that stuck with you? Could you share it with us?
A teacher told me once that when you think about a project sometimes photography may not be the best medium to tell that story. Maybe it would be better with audio or video and thats okay. It was very helpful to me.
Thank you so much for talking with me today. Before we go, is there anything coming up you are excited about?
I'm going back to New York in the spring and it's very very exciting for me. I am very curious to see how it has changed and how it photographs now. I can't wait to do that. That's my biggest plan for now.
© Lucia Buricelli
