On the Photography of Sabina Tuscany

Looking at the photographic series of Sabina Tuscany, one quickly realizes, that they originate from a vigorous interest in the basic categories of our visual perception – light and colour as well as space and shape. As photo stylist and interior designer Sabina Tuscany was always dealing with this categories. And it is no surprise that the medium of photography gained more and more importance in her practice from a very early stage on. Photography gave her the possibility to expand her visual production into the aesthetics of the ordinary and the hidden. Like an archeologist Sabina Tuscany searches in her photographic series for motives, that we – being conditioned by artificial and hyperreal images – simply overlook and that stay concealed from our common perception.

In one of her series Sabina Tuscany deals for instance with the art-historical motive of drapery. But she finds this motive that is used in painting as a mean to picture dynamics, materiality and lightning conditions, totally detached from its art-historical context in tarpaulins lying around on constructions sites or folded back awnings in beach cafés. In another series Sabina Tuscany deals with the colour red. The photography of this series shows different sceneries, that, on the first site, are not related at all. But soon one realizes that every image is dominated by a red accent, as slight as it might be (a red rear light of a car, two small red hooks, the red collar of a shovel). This series strikingly shows how even a minimal accent of colour can guide our gaze, organize the image space and determine the perspective.

By making the aesthetics of the ordinary and the hidden visible as well as systemizing them, Sabina Tuscany gives unimposing motives new meaning and reveals their secrets to the all to often transient eye.

Amadeo Kraupa-Tuskany 2011