About The Artist

The work of Christian Tagliavini can be experienced in many ways. Its duality of expressive artistry & meticulously controlled portraits, display a beautifully curated world of sitters posed within the handcrafted clothes made by the artist himself. Set against the backdrop of art history, referencing movements such as the Renaissance & Cubism, he wields his lens after the long complex process of designing, building & making to create his mise en scène.

Taking 13 months to complete,1503 is largely inspired by the masters of the Renaissance, notably Agnolo di Cosimo (usually known as ‘Il Bronzino’) who was born in the same year as the title. Using cardboard & paper in place of material allows Tagliavini to design each item from the patterning to the final construction of form completely. In his series Dame Di Cartone (literal translation: ‘Cardboard Ladies’) several influences from art history & other eras are again present resulting in striking imagery.

From beginning to completion Tagliavini’s work is a labour of love. He admits that he enjoys the process as much as the resulting photograph, constructing an aesthetic from scratch he feels is incredibly satisfying from a creative & philosophical point of view. With as much done in situ as possible, including the illusory lengthening of the neck Tagliavini reduces the amount of postproduction needed thus retaining the immediacy of the image beautifully.

Tagliavini is fully aware of the irony he portrays & playfully indicates the impermanence of fashion throughout the ages.