Alfa Castaldi

The accidental theorist with a text by Anna Piaggi

A
I associate the memory of Alfa, "fashion photographer," with a wonderful sensation of discerning eclecticism and smiling irony I shared with him, starting in the fifties.
A symbiosis that was not only personal but also experienced through his "Italian Eye" in many different periods when, with him, I learned that even the technical aspects of photography can become forms of sentiment, affectionate bits of "everyday fashion life". Tri-X and infrared film, the Russian telephoto lens, the ring light, the Linhofs, the zoom lens... When in front of the various lenses there appeared models perched on his historic Land Rover in Florence, a sixteen-year-old Veruschka in the Accademia di Brera, the Klimts of Missoni photographed in Prague, the perspective shots of the beach at Viareggio (one of Alfa's favorite sets), the star dress by Walter Albini, the harlequins of Ken Scott, Krizia's hot pants...
Alfa studied and practiced photography with the same scientific precision composed of in-depth investigation, curiosity, and abundant materials with which he had experienced years of artistic and literary culture. Throughout his life he never stopped cultivating, like a true scholar, his own intense, private world filled with versatile interests. In his room French erotic novels of the eighteenth century alternated with Italian fables transcribed by Italo Calvino... Shelves of ethnography, archeology, entomology, mythology, folklore.
I am reminded of the series of photographs taken for L'Uomo Vogue in 1976 on the origins of Italian style. And the many roots of taste he found, case by case, in fashion.
I think of the "Shiites" and the "Celts" upon the top shelf of his bookcase. I may be very superficial but I pay attention, and-I saw them "reappear" recently in a collection of Viktor & Rolf!
Ten years after his death I have "reviewed," once again, in another way, this composite Alfa with his many different forms, in life, culture, and fashion, thanks to parts of the digital archives that Paolo, his beloved son, has put together (with a-little luck, at times ... ), including images that have been selected for this exhibition and this catalogue.
Alfa's photography was truly a great container of fashion as he saw it, always through the eyes of a reporter, with the ethic of a researcher, with the clin d'oeil of his artist friends at the Bar Giamaica...

Anna Piaggi, 2005

Alfa was a peculiar kind of photographer.
He practically combined photography, art history and his ironical and curious personality into a sort of alchemist's potion.
In post-war Milan he was associated with the circle of artists and writers that used to hang out at Bar Jamaica. A few photographers also gathered there in between assignements (Mulas, Dondero, Bavagnoli) spending hours in endless discussions and Alfa was one of the main theorists, the art critic who could indicate an artistic and historical belonging for any image.
Then one day Anna stepped in the Jamaica and brought a totally new plan into Alfa's life.
Anna was editor at Annabella, she was simple and funny, absolutely un-theoretical, and she had an instinctive and very definite approach to fashion issues. In the many years that followed (a whole life) they built a solid team and a perfect balance between two different attitudes towards life and work.
His work in fashion became legendary, in 1968 he was the first to travel to the Eastern Europe for a fashion shoot, placing the clothes of Walter Albini, Ken Scott, Krizia and Jean-Baptiste Caumont on the streets of Prague.
He didn't give up is wide interests to concentrate just on fashion, though, he kept on shooting portraits, still-lifes and didn't stop working on his own personal researches. In the mid 70's he conceived the "Compagnia di Stile Popolare" project, a visual/ethnological research on the roots of Italian men's clothing, started a long study on a possible Photo-cubist technique, experimented linear masking and soft focus portraits. He later published two books on the italian fashion scene: “Mass moda” with Adriana Mulassano in 1979 and “L’Italia della Moda” with Silvia Giacomoni in 1984. Finally, in the late 80's he produced an intensive reportage about stencils on the walls of Paris, photographs of monumental graves in Milan and a number of personal observations and street photographs.
Like many great masters he found a time to work for the world and another to work for himself.

post scriptum

The LateAndModern Gallery project originates from the considerations that arose after archiving the 40 years of intense shooting by Alfa Castaldi.
It was evident that the "fashion photographer" label was a bit reductive for a photographer like Castaldi. His works spanned such a wide horizon of subjects and styles that the fashion material (or, at least, what he had kept) was just a small part of the lot.
This condition is true for many of the major italian "fashion photographers", so we we decided it could be a good idea to dig into the photographers archives, pretty sure that we'll find a good number of interesting photographs.
Paolo Castaldi

About Alfa Castaldi
Publications Exhibitions

Alfa Castaldi Prints Series

Notes on the prints

Alfa Castaldi's prints are edited by Archivio Alfa Castaldi. Due to the fact that Castaldi generally did not sign his prints, vintage prints are punched, rubber-stamped and certified by the Archive. Modern prints editions, unless where expressly noted, are produced in the declared number plus three artist's proofs.

Stills and surrealism

A selection of surrealist inspired photographs from the 70's and 80's plus an Arcimboldo inspired still life.

B/W modern prints numbered edition on selenium toned Silver Gelatine.
Modern giclée prints, numbered edition on cotton paper.

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La Machine à manger les huitres, 1972

Pillole, 1972

Balenciaga, 1979

Westwood, 1989

Fiori Blu, 1972

KL Parfum, 1983

KL Bustier, 1983

Arcimboldo, 1972

Still Life, 1972

Manolo's flying shoe, 1988

Compagnia di Stile Popolare

Ethno-visual research on the roots of the Italian menswear style.
From 1976 till 1980 Castaldi often travelled in different regions of Italy (notably Sardinia, Emilia and South Tirol) for Uomo Vogue taking portraits of shepherds and farmers in their daily or "Sunday" clothes. He was searching for the details or the materials that mark the origins of the Italian men's style. He was looking for capes, jackets, boots, paying particular attention to the purity of the materials and the details: combed wools, embroidery, hats and walking sticks.
Selenium toned Silver Gelatine prints.
One numbered Later Printed boxset of 10 prints from Sardinia still available.

Shepherd
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1976

Countryman
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1976

Shepherd
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1976

Countryman
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1976

Shepherd
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1976

Countryman
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1979

Mountaineer
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1979

Artisan
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1979

Countryman
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1979

Lumberjack
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1979

Countrymen
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1979

Countryman
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1979

Countryman
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1980

Cowboy
Compagnia di Stile Popolare, 1980

Cubism

Photo-cubist images from masked multiple exposure on 8x10" sheet film.
Castaldi's research on photo-cubism lasted over a decade. It was a complex and time-consuming practice. Images had to be strictly planned drawing draft sketches in order to control the effect of progressive black cardboard masks that would later be used, in a multi-exposure scheme, to produce a final image made of many slices of the subject view. A process which has nothing to do with collage and photo-collage images.
Vintage unique 8x10 Polaroid originals.
Modern giclée prints, numbered edition on cotton paper.

Bach, 1980

Hommage à Laurens, 1990

La Boina, 1990

Hommage à Albert Gleizes, 1991

Lo Sportivo, 1990

Cubist Still, 1990

Nature Morte à le cactus, 1989

La Coupole, 1990

Untitled, 1990

Urban landscape, 1990

Picasso Tower, 1992

Palacio de Cristal, 1992

El Retiro, 1992

Dummies

Highly styled or steam-hot dummies.
B/W modern prints numbered edition on selenium toned Silver Gelatine.
Modern giclée prints, numbered edition on cotton paper.

Still Life, 1982

Lacroix, 1990

Margiela, 1991

GFT, 1983

Monumentale

A portfolio of details from the over 800 photographs of the Monumental Cemetery in Milan.
Vintage prints on Galerie Warmtone.

Detail 1
Monumentale, 1989

Detail 2
Monumentale, 1989

Detail 3
Monumentale, 1989

Detail 4
Monumentale, 1989

Detail 5
Monumentale, 1989

Detail 6
Monumentale, 1989

Detail 7
Monumentale, 1989

Detail 8
Monumentale, 1989

Nudes

A portfolio of nudes. Unpublished material except for the Marina Schiano Klimt portrait.
Vintage 18x24 cm contact prints on Agfa Brovira.
B/W modern prints numbered edition on selenium toned Silver Gelatine.