RENATO CERISOLA: PAINTING WITH LIGHT

Italy and extraordinary art have always been synonymous. We sat down with award-winning photographer and long-time friend of Elena, Renato Cerisola to discover more about the man who has captured everything from Euro Disney to The Vatican and in the process has developed a technique painting with the camera, bringing modern technology and Italy’s artistic heritage closer than ever before.

We know that you are Genova born, but tell us a bit more about yourself?

The Genovese know no half-measures - they are either sailors or alpine climbers. I chose the mountains from an early age, only to marry a Roman and stay there. But Genova remains in my heart. If I could choose, I would live in Camogli, but also in Trento or Toronto.

How did you go from being a geologist to an awardwinning photographer?

I have always felt divided between two passions, art and science, but in 2000 art finally won. Geology and science are and have always been of great interest to me, but creativity is a part of me - my way of being, seeing, thinking and doing.

You have an immense range of projects and subject matter where many photographers choose to focus on one specific area. How do you decide on your subjects and which projects to take on?

I could never be a specialised photographer because I do not have any formal training or even an apprenticeship, but also because I am not interested in merely documenting. I research the beauty and fascination in everything. The fact that every job I do is different is what keeps my curiosity, my empathy and the freshness of my approach alive.

You have developed a unique technique of painting with your camera. Was it the result of a long-time study or is it something that just came to you?

Photopainter? By chance! I was in Giverny but I found the facade of the cathedral was being restored and half- covered in scaffolding. What to do? I experimented with the camera and found that, by moving it a certain way, the scaffolding had disappeared whilst the embrace of the golden evening light on the austere forms of the cathedral had remained. Amazed and fascinated, I could not help but walk the road that had opened before me.

When I look at your work, I see art reminiscent of the Impressionist painters, particularly Monet, in the way you capture light and motion. Are you influenced by this movement or any?

My mom always took me with her to see museums and exhibitions. As a child, looking at a picture, I knew who had painted it. This school has given me a lot and, combined with a natural predisposition, it has been my personal training path. The Impressionists, in particular Monet, have certainly fascinated and even moved me, but in reality, in every great period, I find artists who inspire me.

Talk to us about some of your biggest projects renatocerisola.com

Disney: Euro Disney needed to refresh their brand and started an international search for a photographer. Eventually, they chose me.

The Vatican Museums: I was selected to redesign the website, with photos and videos. Usually, the Vatican chooses to share their works of art and spaces. In this project, we were able to explore the human element. ENI: When celebrating their 50th anniversary, they chose me to create a photographic book, the result of which was so much appreciated that they chose to indicate only the name of the author on the cover!

Who or what inspires you?

If I have to choose a theme, I go back to water. I began my career with the great success of an exhibition dedicated to the streams of Trentino (See Issue 12), exhibited in Rome and then taken abroad. Whenever the opportunity arises, I return to photograph water.

What advice would you give to young photographers who are starting out and hoping to build a career in photography?

Today photography is essential - we are all photographers. But it is equally true that the images tend to be all the same, and that the overall quality is drastically lowering. I always tell students not to conform, not to feel satisfied, not to get tired, but to exercise their eyes, gaze and curiosity. Work to bring home images that are as simple and effective as possible. In a good shot, there must be neither too many elements nor too few. They must be in balance with each other. To make progress today in the inflated, saturated, in many ways dying world of photography, we need to develop a new, original, strong language.

Where can people see and buy your work digitally and physically? Do you have any new work or shows coming up soon?

Last summer I directed, edited and took all the pictures for a documentary in three episodes called "Faces of the Gospels.” The narrative voice of the Pope is accompanied by images of works from the Vatican Museums and manuscripts from the Vatican Apostolic Library.

O Magaz N

When I think of Liguria, two very different memories come to mind. The first is from a very hot August day in Monterosso - Cinque Terre. The rocky, steep cliffs pierce the Ligurian sea under a striking sun as I navigate an ocean of people with a heavy (fat) baby strapped to me. The heat is unforgiving, the goal is survival and I pour water over my head while I strip, walk and try to escape what feels like a volcano stroll. The second is from my childhood and feels starkly different. Here, my mind is filled by the sounds of the sea that cradled my afternoon naps. I can hear the remote sounds of children playing on the beach and the sound of people washing their lunch dishes to the smell of espresso in the sleepy coastal town of Riva Trigoso. This memory is exactly what came to mind a while back when I spoke to Simona Mussini from Ristorante Ö Magazín in Portofino. The restaurant was born from her dad’s old fishing shop and bears the name of the original spot. Her whole family worked together to build it; they recycled materials from boats and fishing equipment to make furniture and décor. They devised a menu that speaks magic from its simplicity: tradi- tional Ligurian fare at its best with Mussini family flair. The daily fish is obtained from a local fisherman and the antipasti are made fresh from the daily catch. The menu sports Trenette (typical Ligurian pasta) in a perfectly traditional pesto but also a version they invented with cream and tomato sauce. Their frittura - the mixed fried fish - is typically fragrant and crispy. The dessert is fresh gelato made daily by Simona’s husband in their gelateria. Everything is served flawlessly and without substitutions, in line with their taste and Ligurian culture.

Liguria is a region driven by tourism but it adheres fiercely to its traditions and this is reflected in its best eateries. There is no toying with its crispy golden chickpea farinata or the deliciously oily focaccia. Salted anchovies, olives and fried fresh fish still make up the favoured antipasti of locals and non. Handmade Trofie (traditional Ligurian pasta) with pesto are on every menu as well as rotating secondi made from the daily catch.

In this edition of T-Mag we have created a menu that will bring you all the flavours of Liguria anywhere you

Giovanna Alonzi

may be. Our Farinata will be as crispy and delicious as the irresistible original snack. The Gattafin (a fried Raviolo filled with rich bitter greens and cheese) will keep you coming back for more. The Linguine alle Acciughe e Pinoli (Linguine with Anchovies and Pinenuts) will make an excellent and quick primo; perfect for an early fall dinner. The Pesce Spada con Olive Taggiasche e Pinoli (Swordfish with Taggiasche Olives and Pinenuts) with the green beans ‘alla Genovese’ bring together many great Ligurian staples and makes an easy, hearty and luscious meal.

When I said goodbye to Simona Mussini, I asked her for her very own favourite memory from Ö Magazín and of her home of Liguria. She delightfully said

“everything, every day”, resonating with the serenity and peace of someone living their life just as they feel they should. My wish is that these recipes leave you with the same feeling of tranquillity that Liguria instilled in me many years ago.

Sud Forno Executive Chef Giovanna in collaboration with our very own Ligurian, Spaccio Executive Chef Ruben Rapetti, has curated a selection of recipes inspired by Liguria’s cuisine. Try these recipes at home and visit our @terronimagazine Instagram for even more Ligurian dishes to make at home.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

200g chickpea flour

1l of water salt and pepper to taste

EVOO rosemary to taste maldon salt or coarse salt to finish

Method

In a large bowl vigorously whisk the water and chickpea flour. Skim away any foam that might form. Repeat three times until well mixed. Season with salt and refrigerate if using the next day. Preheat the oven to 280°C. Cover the bottom of a large oven-proof pan (15”-16” in diameter) with about 3 mm of EVOO, then pour in the farinata liquid and fresh rosemary if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and finish with salt.

Note

The farinata mix can be made the day before cooking. If making the mix the same day as cooking, the mix needs to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tbsp. of oil

2-3 cloves of garlic

12 anchovy fillets

200g of Taggiasche olives

100g of capers

400g of Linguine

70g of pine nuts, lightly toasted parsley, freshly chopped salt to taste freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

In a pan gently heat 3 tbsp. of oil with the garlic and anchovies until the garlic is golden. Crush the anchovies with a wooden spoon to help them melt, add the olives and capers, toss for a couple of minutes and remove from the heat. Cook the linguine according to label instructions (but very al dente) in 5l of salted boiling water. Strain the pasta and toss in the pan on low heat, add the pine nuts, fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately, Buon Appetito!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1l of milk

150g of flour

150g of sugar

6 eggs

1 lemon

100g of bread crumbs sunflower oil for frying

Method

For the pastry cream, bring the milk to a boil and sift the flour into the milk while whisking. Add the sugar, lemon zest and 4 of the eggs, lightly beaten continuously whisking to prevent lumps. Spread the cream on a sheet pan, about 1 cm thick, and allow it to cool completely. Cut the cooled pastry cream into parallelograms. Whisk the remaining eggs and dip the cream parallelograms into the eggs and then coat them with the bread crumbs. Fry for 2-4 minutes in the sunflower oil at 170 Cp. until golden.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

4 slices of swordfish (about 3cm thick)

2 cloves of garlic (crushed)

2 tbsp. of pine nuts

1 tbsp. of capers

2 tbsp. of Taggiasche olives approx. 100ml white wine

1 tbsp. of chopped parsley

EVOO

Method

Marinate the swordfish with EVOO, 1 clove of garlic, parsley, salt and pepper then let it stand for 15 minutes. Heat a large pan, add the swordfish and 1 garlic clove and cook for 5 minutes. Before flipping the swordfish, deglaze with 100ml of white wine and add the capers, olives and pine nuts. Flip the swordfish and cook for five minutes more, adding a bit more wine if necessary. Add parsley, remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit for 2 minutes before serving.

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