Massimo Vitali

Biography

Born in Como, Italy, Massimo Vitali is an Italian photographer known for large-format colour photographs of beaches and scenes of mass tourism. After studying photography at the London College of Printing, he initially worked as a photojournalist for the Report Agency in the 1970s, and later as a movie camera operator. In 1995 he took on fine art photography, often standing on a podium four or five meters high, and using large-format film cameras to capture high-resolution details over a broad expanse in locations such as beaches, clubs and public spaces.

These panoramic views, characterised by bold colours and rich detail, depict people interacting with each other as well as with their natural surroundings. He shoots his subjects from a great distance, giving his images an air of voyeurism and detachment. He began his series of photographs of beaches in the mid 90s. Later, he expanded the selection of his motifs to include swimming pools, winter sports resorts, discotheques and other places where tourists and recreation-seekers spend time.

His work is part of the collections of major international museums, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Centre George Pompidou in Paris. Vitali lives and works in the Italian city of Lucca and in Berlin.