LONDON.- Widely regarded as the greatest Italian photographer of the twentieth century, Mario Giacomelli was born in Senigallia, Italy, in 1925. Following a poor formal education, he began his working life as a jobbing printer, before training as a typographer and did not fully embrace photography until he was 30 years old.

Above all, Giacomelli saw himself as a poet with a camera. “Photography is not difficult, as long as you have something to say”. Giacomelli’s famous statement underlines his casual disregard for the technical intricacies of the photographic process. This rawness of approach is a key characteristic of his work and his obliviousness to accepted dark-room practices resulted in the creation of works which were completely unique in style.

Giacomelli’s work in Puglia in 1957 is one of his most celebrated series. The photographs depict an almost idealistic fantasy of how we today imagine the Italian village to look. The prints themselves display Giacomelli’s characteristic use of strong contrast and striking use of form and texture.

All the prints in this exhibition come directly from his estate in Sassoferrato, Italy, and were made by the photographer in his dark room. Also included are some of his most well-known works from the series Io Non Ho Mani Che Mi Accarezzino il Volto (There are no Hands to Caress My Face), in which young priests are shown joking with each other in the snow, along with a selection of his landscapes.