Parma Unmasked
Text and Photos by Peter Sprosty
Most of the pictures in Parma Album (Peter Sprosty, 2001) were made with a $20 all-plastic camera.
The things that look like mistakes˜out-of-focus, blurs, weird colors/shapes˜just might be. They are not there by chance, however, not solely. I put chance to work with the defects of this camera, searching for mystery, innocence and surprise. Parma Album is not pretty pictures. It's a three-act play: culture, society, economy. There are some things you won't find in any guidebooks. And surely things I left out.
I think of the city and the province as a living entity. I like to muse, a bit philosophically, that I didn't make these pictures; I walked by and she slipped them in my camera. I used to joke about a ghost in the machine; now I know it's just Parma.
Battistero
This is the cover shot of the book and is probably the most famous landmark in Parma. It was built around 1200 and is octagonal. It is an obvious choice for the cover and for that reason I didn't want to use it. In fact, I was somewhat cajoled into choosing it. However, when we saw it on the black background of the cover with no border, it looked like a reflection off the cover of the book itself, not a photo of a reflection. I had to admit it was quite strong. I shot the baptistery reflected in the window of the postcard shop in the duomo, which sits next door. I wanted to avoid a traditional representation of the building and I figured since it was so well known I really didn't have to make an "architectural" rendering. The postcards behind the reflection are all of Parma, so if you look closely you can learn a lot about the city from this one photograph.
Enuti A Parma
Ah, Enuti. This was the shot I was pulling for to use for the cover. And I wanted to title the book, Enuti A Parma Welc. I thought it was perfect. The title was already incorporated in the photo and it was already bilingual˜or non-lingual rather, since they are only half words in Italian and English˜there was also Parma in the title. If you haven't already guessed, it's a "Welcome to Parma" sign that first is written in Italian and then English. When seen in full it reads, "Benvenuti A Parma˜Welcome to Parma." And behind it is the famous and colossal Pilotta built by the Duke in the 1800s and bombed during WWII. The jagged edge we see behind the sign is damage from this bombardment.
Piazza Garibaldi
This is the heart of Parma. The city hall is right behind me in this picture and is where everybody comes to see and be seen. Parma is a city particularly apt for the bicycle because it is completely flat. Bicycles are everywhere. It seemed appropriate as a symbol of Parma life and then I love near/far relationships in photos. This is one of the few night shots in the book and, again, shot with a conventional camera and even a tripod. I actually shot it for an agency in Milano, but when the book project came up it was too pretty to pass by. The streaks of light are from a passing bus (long exposure).
Strada Nella Bassa
This is the famous Bassa. It was a windy day and I was cruising around without direction, looking for landscape shots for the book. This seemed a good one. The road makes for good perspective and the tree a nice vertical design, but without the clouds it wouldn't be special. The other thing I did to push the envelope a little, give more movement, was to double expose. Not all roads in the Bassa are dirt but it gives you an idea of the kind of spaces you are dealing with and the pace of life. You can imagine it with this photo, right?
Leonardo
Unfortunately, Leonardo had a heart attack some months after I took this photo. He's now doing fine, perhaps eating less salami. This shot I snapped during a torta fritta at Alessia's (my significant other) uncle's house. Torta fritta are pieces of dough fried in pig fat which you eat with salume, which is basically pork cold cuts. After drinking a healthy amount of Lambrusco, the sweet red wine of the Bassa, Leo burst into song, singing Giuseppe Verdi with gusto and talent. This was a lucky shot. Being in the right place at the right time˜with your camera, of course.
Papavero
This one is always a favorite. In the spring, Italy, like much of southern Europe, is covered in poppies. I've shot many pictures of poppies in three years. This one remains one of the most atmospheric. You can really travel. You can really breathe. If I recall correctly, we were lying in a field, enjoying the sun and breeze. I happen to like taking pictures lying down, as not only do you get a different perspective, but you really connect physically with the earth. In a field you can feel the presence with your whole body. You also feel like a kid again. I think it's an important feeling to have and it translates into your picture taking.
