Photography: A True Way To Discover My Inside ..... Melani Fernando

When I moved to Europe I was but a little girl, twelve years old, with my mind full of childish fantasies and hopes. I didn’t know exactly what should have I been, but even with the sense of a profound nostalgy, my mind was enthusiastic in flying towards a new world, a new life and experiences. I didn’t yet know how paramount of importance would have been my culture and the sweet nest of my family, particularly of my grandmother. I was going to be born in a new world and , as it is from the beginning of man history, I didn’t know anything about it.

I already knew the artistic heritage layered in my stock, but as any good teenager, I tried to react at it, and I made my choice for more rational studies. But, really, you will always have to do with what you are, with your roots and with your secret and inner dreams. In my family was so common music, theather, cinema, dance but, how to look for my inside path?
Seemingly just for a case, during my study course, I was asked to perform as a fashion model, and I started to realize I had something to express, coming maybe from my dance lessons, and I started to observe, whatever was happening around me. Now I know that at the moment I started to feel even more insecure, but I was starting to discover the first bits of my inner world. At first I was fascinated, and it was so easy living in Italy, by the fashion world and I became, and still I am, a fashion model, but little by little I started to look at photography as a true form of art, I started to follow the story and art of some masters of photography, but that was a fact of my own, a personal pleasure not completely connected with my work.

It was about one year ago that I got to know a photograper, Mauro Tripiciano, that was not absolutely interested in its commercial aspects, but was deepely rooted in the modern and contemporary art history, and a true knowledge of the works and influences of the masters of photography.
We started to talk and , after a few hours, he purposed me for a revisitation, in a modern concept, of how an actual girl would pass through different reference of arts. It was not so easy at the beginning, maybe I had to overcome my resistences, it was truly difficult to look at the inside of myself. He explained to me the myth of the muses in the ancient greek culture, and I started to realize I could have been “one that can move emotions” as it is the meaning of the term “Muse”.
From that point over, maybe not so different from a psychoanalitic set, I started to discover through a performing art, my deep inside, and I was enthusiast in any photo session. As a muse I could move imagination, but that was for me too, my knowledge of myself, my selfconfidence has greatly improved, and I realized that was what any common girl like me can discover leaving herself floating on emotions, looking back at a safe traditional culture, and contemporarily looking forward to what we are going to be. Never think “It’s all over, I know how it is”, but through arts try to change yourself, you opinions day by day.
All this inner path had a result in a photographic book that I truly think will last as an artistic vision for ever, and will be one of my sincerest art performance. The photographer, Mauro Tripiciano, has been a master to me, getting me closer to those visions of arts that seemed to be so hard to me, leading me to a new consciousness of myself.
In this book the very most of images are black and white, but some needed to be in colour. Anybody could ask the reason. In the intention of the author, Mauro Tripiciano, this has to do with the aim of reducing elements that could distract from the essentiality or the structure of the images. If you look at the colour photos, you’ll notice aniway somekind of desaturation, that means “here the colour is needed to underline a gesture, an inspirational sense”. There are two images linked with the Holi Feast, and here a strong hue is commanding, anyway the intent is moving emotions. You’ll find some Polaroid, a fantastic material which allows you, in its relatively unpredictable result, a lot of artistic possibilities.
What about the model: I was asked to get free, to feel emotional, to become not only one Muse , but all the nine muses and remember the meaning of this name. I think I got the point, in any photo I’m a little bit different, in some images it’s not so easy to say that is the same me.

Following the publication of this book,there will be an exhibition,the exhibition will be held at J.D.A Perera gallery ,46 Horton Place colombo 7, 14/15 september from 9.00am to 19.00 pm.
Melani Rochelle Fernando