Imposing wilderness

"Imposing wilderness" tells about  the fascination that one feels in remote and boundless places, where the mind is transported through a different perception of space. The imposing desert of our imagination, the one that frightens us, but fascinates us immensely for its extraordinary beauty. The photos were taken during a trip to Namibia, a land of magical and surreal landscapes, in the desert of Namib, in the Kunene region and in the Skeleton coast. Before visiting these places I always thought that deserts were arid places, devoid of life, but I discovered that in reality, the desert is a magical place, that comes alive at night and teeming with life forms.. In my work I try to communicate the need to recover a symbiotic relationship with nature. Through photography I try to capture moments in which the harmony of the landscape manifests itself through natural light, when the shades of color change with atmospheric variations. I remain fascinated by landscapes of rare beauty where the mind is carried away by the imagination.
I decided to give my work a narrative cut, selecting some photos in progression and trying to represent a conceptual journey.
The image of the road often recurs in my production as a symbol of connection between man and nature allowing of connecting people to places, to reach landscapes sometimes considered unattainable. Roads crossing wastelands and deserts become an expression of collective and social resilience and human adaptability. However, they also represent the result of man’s transformative action significantly changing the landscape (even where the harshness of territories makes difficult to live) and consequently affecting animal survival. My nature photography seeks to convey a message enviromental protection and wildlife safeguard by stimulating collective perception and awareness about the values of biodiversity and respect for natural ecosystems. The occasional presence of animals represents an emotional meeting by focusing on the magicality of a moment in which what you didn’t expect to see suddenly appears. They represent the great resistance and capacity of adaptation to climate change by surviving in extreme conditions. The last picture closes the photographic path flying over the most majestic peak of Africa, the Mount Kilimanjaro, representing the feeling of inner fulfilment constituted by the cultural baggage that every journey gives.

  • Vincenzo Cohen
    Photographer
  • Date Taken:
    September 27, 2013
  • Country of Origin:
    Namibia
  • Camera:
    Sony SLT-A58
  • Lens:
    35mm
  • Focal Length:
    82
  • Shutter Speed:
    1/200 sec.
  • Aperture:
    f/8
  • ISO / Film:
    100
  • Student Project:
    No
  • "Nature" International Art and Photography Competition
    Art Room Contemporary Gallery, London (UK)
    May 21, 2021
    Honorable Mention for excellent work
  • 11th International Animals Art Competion
    Lightspacetime Art Gallery, (USA)
    June 4, 2021
    Special recognition for Animals Art Competition
Artist Biography

Vincenzo Cohen (birth name, Vincenzo Curcio) is an Italian artist and wildlife photographer with a classical formation. He was born in Zurich (Switzerland) and after spending his childhood in South Italy, he moved to Rome to undertake the academic studies. In 2002 he graduated in Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts and in 2005 he held his first personal Art Exhibition. In 2007 he received a second master's degree in Archaeological Sciences from the "La Sapienza" University in Rome. Polyhedric artist, his production is the result of a continuous process of historical-scientific research addressed to the representation of cultural content with a naturalistic and social background. He is involved in Wildlife Conservation and he travels through Africa and Midle East to get inspiration for his art production. Much of his work consists in reworking of life and travel experiences through an expressionist language, by means of photography or through the combination of both artistic techniques. One of the artist’s core themes, developed over the years, is the extinction of wildlife.

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Artist Statement

"The power of creation lies in its message because art can be a means to combat violence.. Art is an expression of nature and its potency.."