Stefano Nicolini
2009
Explosive Carnality 1
[Swimming Pools (Piscine)]

Colour slide 35 mm, printed on Hahnemuehle Baryta paper
70 x 106 cm
 
Provided by the artist - Stefano Nicolini
Carnalita Esplosiva 1 [Explosive Carnality 1] is clear and strong, and at the same time ethereal. The diver, who appears naked and in fetal position, shows an absolute corporeity. At the same time, the rotatory movement, fully involving both his body and the sky he stands out against, makes his gesture ethereal and in sharp contrast with the dark perimeter of the concrete platform he dives from. The body in the air is in movement, circular, and warm; whereas the platform is static, square, and cold. The homogeneity of the sky perfectly isolates the evolution of the gesture and the magic element of his corporeity. Owing to such a substantial presence of the sky and to the trail produced by the diver's circular movement, one can actually hear the hiss of the friction produced by his body encountering the air. The desire conveyed in Piscine [Swimming pools] is the return to the natural element symbolized by water, but in this case air is the natural element represented.
 
The nakedness of the diver was not created in photoshop, but it is the result of the exposure time. This can also be seen in the photographs Carnalita Gioiosa 1 [Joyful Carnality 1], Carnalita Esplosiva 2 [Explosive Carnality 2] and Il Tuffatore [The Diver]. The nakedness and the fetal movement announce the birth of a new man which will take place in the last step of Piscine [Swimming pools].
 
This photograph is the only one in Piscine, apart from Il Tuffatore [The Diver], with an environmental element which makes the geographical site recognizable. The presence of the pines in the two photographs identifies the images compared to those taken in other editions of the FINA World Championships. The pines indicate that the photographs were taken during the Rome 2009 edition, just as the other photos in Piscine. In order to obtain Carnalita Esplosiva 1 [Explosive Carnality 1] and Il Tuffatore [The Diver] I had to position myself in an area forbidden both to photographers and spectators. Sometimes the non-observance of rules is inevitable in order to obtain photographs of impact.
 
Stefano Nicolini (July 2010)
 
LL/37548