Gradwatch 2020: Photographer Fabio Rovai, London School of Style
Fabio Rovai studied fashion photography at the London College of Fashion created Photo series and fashion shoÖts that freely mix digital and analog formats. In 2018 the Italian photographer even received confirmation from fashion designer J.Onathan Anderson, together with a jury of distinguished judges chose him in an exhibition and Book in the spotlight photographyRising stars.
But a lot of Rovai Recent work goes well beyond the confines of traditional fashion photography and includes his practice photographic Experiments with AI. While he enjoyed his course very much, As he built close relationships with everyone from designers and stylists to tutors and industry leaders, it became clear to him that he wanted to expand even further.
"I've always explored unconventional aspects of photography practice, which led me to accomplish more with art students than with fashion students," he sayss us. He began to experiment with sculpture and primitivism, and it is this "contamination" of the disciplines that most defines him and his practice. A look at his portfolio clearly shows the cross-pollination.
The The best advice was given by his instructor, Michiel Meewis: "Aim for a digital result, this is the future. “Rovai was resilient at first, but adopted that mindset in his senior year of college. “I really focused on exploring the work of Rosalind Krauss and Clement Greenberg and their conception of the medium (yes, I tried to be the black sheep of photography and submit sculptures for my deadlines),” he says. “I have always viewed photography as a multi-sensory experience, and sculptures and installations as my main medium. And then I found artificial intelligence. It was love at first sight. "
3D human digitization
Rovai AI artwork Put fashion photography in close dialogue with technology. His work with 3D human digitization turns fashion photos into modeled models that resemble a wax figure or a candle figure on a wedding cake. Meanwhile, his photographic experiments with GANs (General Adversarial Networks) have resulted in Twisted Images match Aphex Twin. With distorted proportions, stitched together contrasting textures and an overall aesthetic that alternates on tiptoe between beautiful and unsettling. The results feel like 2020s Answer to collage.
"I think I discovered a lot about myself when I was working with AI," says Rovai. “It was an extension of my mind and thoughts that allowed me to create truly personal projects. It was always difficult for me to express mine Emotions, however Working with AI made it easy. Feeding the algorithm with images that evoke strong emotions created representations of my feelings and fears. "
In collaboration with photographer and curator Jack Oat and data scientist Stylianos, Rovai would also like to demonstrate the "incredible potential of AI" Kampakis to raise awareness of it. "We have many contacts and plan to advance this concept with a series of exhibitions and lectures," he explains.
While most graduates are understandably interested in establishing a “style” early on, Rovai's work is diverseassuming different forms and focuses from one project to the next. "I've always followed my heart," he says of his approach to his work. "I don't think I have a distinctive style, it's more of a general aesthetic that comes from experience in the art industry.Instead, it is powered by "a strong one anarchy Feeling. I always wanted to change and disturb things.”
Of course this year itself was disturbed. “It was really bad. We felt like uThe university ended six months earlier. It was crazy, I still regret thousands of things I could have done. And I miss the library very much, ”he says. “I will probably never go back to my old life, especially my old job as a gallery owner, which I loved.
"However, I did have time to study AI and new technologies and take many online courses on the subject. All of that free time was fundamental to understanding all of the technical skills I needed for my AI projects. I taught myself coding and arithmetic for six to ten hours a day and read Papers No.n– –stop.” During the pandemic, he did too was moved by the socio-economic impact on northern Italy and decided to create a project called Blastcorn sustainable bu helpSinesses deal with AI.
Looking ahead, Rovai's dream project would be to work with a leading technology company like Google and a celebrity Gallery like the serpentine. In the long term, he wants to continue He grows and shares his knowledge of technology through creativity and ultimately lives up to his convictions "Art has enormous and unspoken potential to change society".
Go here to see all of our Gradwatch picks. fabiorovai.com; @rovaifabioartworks