The Art of Carnivale in Venice

Welcome to a New Year

 
We welcome 2011 with a golden Jester's mischievous smile and his invitation to play.   As we accept his invitation, we wonder what the New Year will bring...  

Once Upon a Mask 2

 

Another mask upon a mask, but this time the mystery is deepened with scarlet silk and seductive black lace.

The spirit of La Serenissima entices...

The Human Condition

 

The masks of Venetian Carnivale represent many things:  Art, craftsmanship, fantasy, delight, mystery, connections with history.  Sometimes masks also reveal truisms about life. And that is the case here. 

In their simple beauty, these masks speak of the grief and joys that are part and parcel of being human.  Whether we like it or not, our lives are made whole and full with both experiences.  In the end, perhaps that is one of the most complex issues we must grapple with in our lives:  How do we live with and accept the reality of both sides of the human condition.

Faberge's Lady

 

We call this performer "Faberge's Lady" because the elegant and rich details of the costume and hat remind us of the rich colors and detail found in the work of  Peter Carl Faberge. 

The hat is a masterpiece in and of itself:  Somewhat egg-like in shape, it drips with fur, feathers, silk and jewels.  The scarlet fur and pristine feathers move gently in the breeze and the whole effect is quite mesmerizing.

This performer conveys a sense that she knows she is stunningly beautiful.  She is slender,  graceful in her movements, and has quite a regal bearing.   Then it occurred to me that this slow elegance and lovely posture might also stem from the work that it takes to support and maintain the position of such an amazing piece of millinery.

I still find myself captivated by Faberge's lady.  I appreciate the extraordinary level of creative effort and practical work it must have taken to produce such an effect.  She is richly lovely.  Were he to see it, I suspect that Mr. Faberge would approve.

Shades of Blues

 There are many shades from the blue family in this image - from the sky to the mask to the costume, to the jewels.   More intangibly, there is an emotional sense of blues in this image, too.  La Serenissima understands that life is complicated.  Her carnivale celebrates both the light and the dark, equally beautifully. 

Once Upon a Mask

A little view of Carnivale humor:  A mask upon a mask.  Layers of vibrant intrigue.  Lovely. 

On Dancing with Light and Character

They say that photography is all about the light.  I think it is about a lot of elements, just one of which is light.  Still, each time I pick up a camera I am re-introduced to the light and I learn more about how we can work together in the most creative and effective manner.  It is as if the light has a personality - it can be strong and harsh, it can be soft and delicate (and many ways in between).  And the personality of the light can affect the nature of an image and our responses to the image. 

Of course, our subjects have personalities, as well, and these can be revealed in different ways, depending on the light.  But sometimes, the strength of our subject's character remains prominent and consistent no matter how it is lit.  What is clear is that as we make our images together, we, our subjects, and the light engage in a complicated, ever-changing dance together.

The light is an unforgiving teacher in the early morning hours of damp, Carnivale mornings, changing its personality and requiring flexibility and patience to work with it, to dance with it.  Early on, before the sun has risen, the light is grayish and quite cold.  It mirrors how cold all of us who are out, performers of photographers, feel. We are chilly and our images can be, too. As the sun rises, the light becomes friendlier, warming dramatically to give a more golden appearance.   Our fingers thaw and the light thaws, as well.  The quality of this light, in turn, changes the emotional "feel" of the image we are creating.

As I was looking at our images, these issues about character and light and the photographer's partnership with them seemed prominent in a series we took with a particularly compelling performer.  The first image was taken earlier...

 

Certainly, this is a dramatic look - a direct pose and those eyes - well, they are such an odd color that you are both repelled by them and drawn to them.  The idea of matching one's eye color to one's costume is an interesting creative decision that certainly draws you in.  They are almost reptilian. You can't stop looking.  She seems a little scary.

Over and above the nature of the eyes, to me, the overall effect of this image is that it seems harsh and distant, in part because of the coldness of the light. In this light the colors are cooler, for example, the white mask has a blueish tinge.  Despite the performer's head-on view, the effect (both physical and emotional) seems one of distance and discomfort. 

This image was taken a little later, as the sun was rising...

 

In this image, of course, the pose is different as well as the light, and both of those elements effect the viewer's perception and experience.  The eyes remain dramatic:   The color seems even more apparent and in a way it seems more dramatically disconcerting.  But overall, in this image the colors are much warmer and softer - the white mask has a warmer tone to it.  While this image still seems disturbing - there is no getting around the oddness of the eyes - there is a way in which she seems a little less harsh and somewhat more inviting. 

It is true that no matter what the nature of the light, this character remains a puzzle and she evokes puzzling emotional responses.  In part this is related to the combined effect of the beauty of her costume with the incongruity of her eyes.  Her appearance is disconcertingly lovely, but in both cold and warm lights,  I still feel a little frightened of her.  

In the end, the strength of her character overshadows the character of the light, in an effect that is troubling but captivating.  In this instance, she is the leader in our morning waltz with the light.  She has been an interesting partner.  I still think about her.  I am pleased  to have had the opportunity be part of her dance.

Do I Know You - 2?

With such rich, vibrant red, this was one of our favorite performers, masks and costumes from 2009.

    

And so as we photographed this performer in 2010, clothed in the most vibrant blue, the effect was similar enough that we assumed it was the same person:

 

I wonder if we are right?

The Face of La Serenissima

 

Carnivale in Venice is extraordinary because it takes place, well, in Venice.  La Serenissima is a lovely lady, a work of art by herself. 

This facade reminds me of the elegant tapestry that graced the mask in the previous post.  And whether seen directly as is in the image above, or seen in reflection...

  

... these images remind me that Venice is the perfect artistic backdrop to the creative feast that is Carnivale.

Elegance in White

 
Sometimes Carnivale is all about drama in color and design.  And sometimes it is simply about rich but discreet elegance.

Rainbow Silk

 

A lush combination of color and texture to brighten a cold morning:  Rainbow silk, soft fur and striking eyes.  Just beautiful.

The Secret Lives of Masks

 

There are times when a mask seems to have a personality or life of its own, independent of the wearer.  Perhaps it has to do with its expression.  This mask seems immersed in its own thoughts, perhaps considering a private joke.  Quietly elegant, it awaits its meeting with the human soul who will be traveling with it on their journey into Carnivale.

Fantasy in Green II: Couture at Carnivale

 

Our Green Lady looks amazing from a distance.  Parisian couture meets science fiction.  But the details are even more gorgeous. 

Consider her headdress, quite a feat of engineering and design:

 

  

The craftsmanship and detail are amazing:  Beautiful pearls, cloisonne beads, ribbon.  Interesting shapes and textures.  I am particularly taken with the texture of the fabric.  It is the same fabric as is used on her costume, but here on her head, the textural peaks and valleys remind me of an image of the cortex. 

Her handbag is a sweet delight (and what an attention to detail - even down to the feather and sequins on the top of the ribbon handle):

 

Leather gloves?  An oversized ring?  But of course.

 

And the shoes, well, nothing else could finish this ensemble but these fabulous shoes:

    

By themselves, the green shoes would have been lovely.  But the inclusion of the ribbon, feather and sequin details here, as well, shows that nothing has been left to chance.

If La Serenissima were a younger lady, perhaps she would wear this amazing creation.  The Green Lady:  The creativity and workmanship of Parisian couture meets the mystery and delight of Carnivale in Venice.

Fantasy in Green

 

This performer, whom we can only identify as "The Green Lady,"  had one of the most magnificent costumes that we had the pleasure of photographing this year at Carnivale. Her mask is relatively simple, but everything else is simply amazing.  The textures, the design, the embellishments, the workmanship - a gorgeous creation.  It reminds us of the high level of skill, time, energy and cost involved in the design and execution of many costumes.  We would love to know more about this aspect of Carnivale.

The last post focused on a traditional Venetian mask.  Apart from the form of The Green Lady's mask, there is nothing traditional about this costume and headdress.  But that is one of the marvelous things about Carnivale in Venice.  History walks side-by-side with innovative fantasy, and it all looks stunning.

Traditional Venetian Masks : The Bauta Mask (The Volto or Larva)

 
 
 

While some of the masks and costumes  worn at contemporary Carnivale celebrations rely on pure artistic fantasy, others hark back to earlier times.  The ensemble  above, called the Bauta, is such a traditional costume.  Actually, while the mask is sometimes called the Bauta, this is not quite correct.  The mask, itself, was called the "Volto" or "Larva."  

The Volto or Larva  is one of the oldest traditional Venetian masks.  It was very striking, with  a strong, face-like shape, an enlarged nose, a protruding upper lip and a strong  jawline.  The mask itself did  not cover the whole face and so allowed the wearer to talk, eat and drink without taking it off.  Its design effectively disguised the face and even could change the timbre of the voice.  The term "volto" has been translated to mean face, while "larva" has been translated to mean "ghost" and sometimes this is called a "ghost mask."

 

While this example is  gold, traditionally, the mask would be white or black, made of leather, papier mache or plaster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some contemporary examples of the Volta:

 

 

 

 In contemporary Carnivale, the Volta is often very ornate and accompanied by equally ornate costumes.  The lower part of the face, chin and neck are not necessarily fully covered and so at least the gender of the wearer is not concealed.   However, when the Volta is part of the traditional Bauta costume, the face is fully covered and it is impossible to tell if the wearer is a man or a woman. 

The traditional Bauta costume includes other elements as well as the mask, and this will the the focus of an upcoming post. 

The Bluest Eyes

 

The mask is amazing in its stunning, vibrant color and gorgeous design.  But it is the eyes (and the quite spectacular eyelashes) which pull it all together to create such a compelling image.

Photographing Carnivale in Venice - Beautiful Chaos

 

She is beautiful, isn't she.  A lovely vision of deep blue and rich gold.  This image was taken in the early morning, in front of the Doge's Palace, just as the sun was rising, and the area was bathed in its usual glorious, warm, golden light.  It all looks clear, peaceful and lovely. 

Over the years, we have discovered that there is a morning ritual for performers and photographers at Carnivale.  In the dark and cold early morning, before the sun rises, it all begins.  Slowly increasing contingents of hardy performers and photographers begin to take their places in front of the Doge's Palace.  And the term "hardy" is not used lightly:  It is cold, usually bitterly so, and often damp and misty, as well.  Of course it is romantic.  But fingertips become quickly numb.  It is hard to manage one's equipment.  I still cannot imagine how the performers keep warm.

Usually the performers begin by facing the palace, standing along the waterfront.  Behind them, the view is unique and impressive.  In the foreground, a layer of bobbing gondolas, tied up for their evening respite.  In the middle ground, the lagoon, and finally, in the back ground, the Isola di San Giorgio Maggiori.  This is a lovely view, particularly as the sky begins to turn the most beautiful crimson and blue colors as the sun emerges. 

With the sunrise, the scene changes direction and moves to the Palace portico that faces the lagoon.   Performers sit, stand and move around in the portico, with their backs to the palace, facing the lagoon.  This is my favorite time, because the area becomes bathed in a warm, golden light.  It is here that the beautiful combination of the artistic masks and costumes, the architecture, the light, the colors and the performances of the Maskers can be fully revealed.

   

The two images above were captured in this lovely warm light, in the Portico.  In our work, we are particularly interested in creating a close portrait of each Masker.  Certainly, we capture full-length images of the performers, as well.  But in the close view, we hope to convey something about the character of the Masker and the Mask, and the performer's engagement with us.  At best, our images convey the impression that we were engaged in intense but individual photo shoots with each performer. 

Ah, what a lovely fantasy.  Because this is the reality:

 Early morning Carnivale in Venice is, simply, beautiful chaos.   A sea of photographers, all jockeying for the "perfect shot."  (And, in reality, this image shows just a small gaggle).  It is a complicated dance of photographic manners:  Try not to trip over anyone, try not to jostle someone when they are shooting, try not to trip over a tripod, try not to stand in the way, try not to leave a shadow across someone's image,  try not to take too long to set up and shoot because there is a line behind you for the image, if you move in for a close-up shot be careful as you move out.  And, in all of this, the goal is to try to do your own work, to the best of your ability, to capture your view of the experience.  

It it possible to take a unique view of a Carnivale performer, with all these other photographers, morning after morning, all trying to photograph the same Masker?  Is it possible to take a unique view of any much-photographed person or object?  We hope so.  Because each image we capture reflects our interests, our passion and our eye. 

Our goal is to honor the creativity, beauty and joy of the mask makers, the costume makers, the performers and the city, itself, in our photographic efforts.  To that end, we will happily pull on our long underwear, warm up our fingers and engage in the beautiful chaos of photographing Carnivale.

Do I Know You?

 
 
 It is odd to think that we only "know" some performers by way of their masks and/or costumes.  Attending Carnivale over several years, sometimes you will see the same mask/costume and will assume that the same person is wearing it.  Sometimes, you will notice that a costume looks familiar from a prior year, but has changed in some way, for example, perhaps the color is different though the design is similar.  Sometimes performers appear in different costumes within one Carnivale season, or utilize a different mask with the same clothing.

But sometimes a performer seems familiar because of both elements of his or her costume, as well as the way he or she performs.  This is the case with the performer pictured above.  I love photographing this person because of the spare and graphic nature of the costume and jewelry, but also because of the lovely way this Masker poses, with a particularly elegant use of gesture and an intensity of gaze.  Because of this, I think the following image may be of the same person (both images were taken in 2009):

 

And this year, though the costume is quite colorful - there remains the similar theme of elegant simplicity in dress and manner, and so I suspect, this is my favorite performer, once again:

 

This is part of the mystery of Carnivale.  In some ways I "know" this person and enjoy working with them photographically, but the reality is that I don't know them at all.  I am not even sure that my hypothesis that these images are of the same performer is correct.  Eventually, on our next trip to Carnivale (if not sooner) I hope I will find out. 
 

Reach Out and Touch...

 

This image is from one of our first occasions photographing Carnivale.  I still remember the damp fog, the chaos and the delight in being able to engage with the performers.  And I have always loved this image for its sense of perspective and the view of the beautiful architectural detail on the Doge's Palace.  The elegant white relief detail on the mask seems to complement the background, as well.

It's All About the Eyes

 

Carnivale masks can be exquisitely decorated in beautiful patterns and colors.  But they also can be quite simple, and just as striking.  This mask is so spare and yet it is still quite evocative.  A dramatic canvas is created with just the eyeliner and the shape and rich color of the lips, so the viewer is drawn into the eyes of the performer.  And this is as it should be.  Because, of course, in the end, the heart of matter is not so much the mask, but the person wearing it and the connection made with their eyes. 

A Table of Delight

 

What could be more lovely than this?  The delights of Carnivale are embodied in these masks.   I never tire of the rich, vibrant, joyful color and the homage to music and the arts.

Il primo Matteo

 

This is Il primo Matteo - Matthias Fliegel - a man of great humor, grace and charm who has captivated many a visitor with his playfulness and clear delight in his role embodying the jester.  We first met the golden Jester as he patiently played with and posed for us and the usual gaggle of photographers gathered in the pre-dawn hours in front of the Doge's Palace.  As is the case at Carnivale, this scene  of performance and photographic chaos is repeated in the late afternoon, close to the sunset, but this time with the numbers of photographers and visitors increased exponentially.  It is exciting and tiring, but it must be particularly so for performers who are encased in a rigid mask and heavy costume.  

By 6 PM we were ready for a break (and a glass of prosecco).  Yet as we walked back to our hotel, who should come hopping through the crowd but the golden Jester.  We didn't know who he was, then, but we were captivated by his charming and playful manner.  Still very sweetly in role, we watched him easily making his way in between dawdling groups of tourists, stopping to playfully touch one or lean around to peer at another.  Always, he was met with smiles and in his manner, he returned them.  As we caught up to him, Frank commented that it must have been a long day for him, and we struck up a conversation.  And so this is how we began to get to know Il primo Matteo, a delightful man who is one of the band of performers who make Carnivale in Venice the extraordinary experience that it is.  

 

A Love Affair Revealed

It is clear to us:  We have a deep and enduring love affair with La Serenissima - the lovely, the strong, the serene lady - Venice.   We particularly are in love with the lady when she is clothed in her cloak of cashmere winter fog.  It is in the winter early mornings and evenings, in the damp and quiet and the romantic light, that we feel immersed in the history and mystery of the place.  Into the quiet, dark mystery of winter Venice comes Carnivale - a time of riotous color, beautiful masks and costumes, and interactions with those adventurous and creative souls who, as "maskers," delight us with their "performances" throughout the city. 

We have spoken about Venice in our Visual Ovation Blog.  But we decided we wanted a place to focus on our beloved Venice specifically during Carnivale.  We intend to share images of the city as well as images of the performers we have had the pleasure of photographing over the years.  Sometimes we will know performer's names, and we will happily identify them.  Unfortunately, there are many whom we don't yet know, but whose character and creativity we would like to acknowledge and share.

So this Blog begins to serve the purpose of sharing the beauty of a place that we love, at a time that we love.  There is art of some sort in every inch of La Serenissima.  From images that reflect ancient Carnivale traditions, to ones that highlight the celebration of modern times, we hope to provide an interesting, creative and colorful homage to the art and soul of La Serenissima at Carnivale.   

We will begin with one of our favorite images, a crimson beauty who still takes our breath away.  We call her, simply,  "The Red Lady."