Hands of Artisans

A Photo Project

Last year I began a project to photograph artisans at work - to capture the normally unseen beauty associated with their hands, tools, materials, and workspace. I started in Florence, Italy which is famous for its art and artisans. 

Starting with a tour guide

I wanted to get off to a good start so I booked a tour with a licensed guide and got an enthusiastic response from Elena Fulceri (http://florencewithflair.com/). Elena is a university-educated Florentine and is fluent in English. Thanks to her arrangements, I was able to photograph eight different artisans at four shops in one March afternoon. I highly recommend using a licensed guide in order to see or learn a lot in a short amount of time. During the tour, I photographed some book conservation specialists whom I could never have found on my own because they work in an unmarked building.

I wouldn’t have even thought of looking for book conservation specialists. Here in western Canada, we aren’t exactly famous for our ancient books so book conservation isn't a well-known profession. It's important in Florence though and includes diverse activities ranging from gentle cleaning to disassembly and re-binding. The broader field of art conservation and restoration became urgent in Florence after an extreme flood on the Arno River inundated museums, galleries and libraries in 1966. But even in Florence, book conservers are relatively unseen compared with artisans who create new work so I was fortunate that Elena took me to see them.

Book conservation and restoration

Taking a book apart for re-binding (removing the "end paper" from the cover) 

Stitching a book binding

Self-guided wandering

After my tour with Elena, I continued photographing artisans on my own over the next weeks and again on a later trip by walking the streets until I found an artisan's shop. A book called “Artisans of Florence” by Laura Morelli helped me find some shops but mostly, I just wandered the south side of the Arno River (Oltrarno). Most artisans in small studios were willing to let me photograph them when they had no customers. Some even seemed excited that I wanted to document and promote their work. I returned to some studios several times in order to see work at different stages. This method took time and determination but approaching artisans on my own allowed me to establish some rapport with them. Here are some of my favourites. 

Carlotta fitting the last piece in stone mosaic, "Commesso Fiorentino"

Luthier carving a violin scroll
Jamie Lazzara, http://www.masterviolinmaker.info/uk.html

Making lace jewellery - Tatting, or "Chiacchierino" in Italian
Paola Ghelli, http://www.unfilodieleganza.com/ 

Camilla Pistolesi at her bench

Returning with a 2019 Calendar

I used these photos to make a wall calendar and when I returned to Florence in early 2019, I took copies as presents for some of my artisan friends. It was a joy to visit them with a tangible gesture of thanks and they seemed genuinely appreciative. What an honour to have my modest art accepted by Florentine artists!  

Sweet faces and skilled hands

Luca, goldsmith at Nerdi Orafi e Incisori (November)

Camilla, goldsmith at Gioielli di Camilla (Cover and September)

Mosaic artists Iacopo, Anna and Bruno at Mosaici Lastrucci.

Not shown is Carlotta who is on my June calendar page. 

My calendar cover

Thank you to all the cooperative artisans I met and to the citizens, patrons and supporters who have made Florence a city of art!