Gianni Sandoni ''mauro'' (Jack Saintgifts)

In my work, I've chosen to focus on what normally escapes us: the simplicity of everyday gestures, the expressions that intersect with the surrounding environment. In a world inundated with images, too often constructed and post-produced, my photographs seek to convey the authenticity of the moment, something that can be lost in the visual noise that surrounds us.

We live in an age in which we are inundated by an incessant flow of images. Every day we are exposed to thousands of photographs, videos, advertising banners, and social media posts. Our ability to stop and observe has progressively diminished, and with it our attention to the deeper meaning of what we see. Images have become increasingly similar, losing their ability to impact, to convey something beyond the surface.

In this context, traditional photography finds itself confronting a new reality: that of artificial intelligence. Today, thanks to sophisticated algorithms, it's possible to generate images that appear real, but are actually completely artificial. AI can create faces, environments, and situations that never existed, with such precision that it confuses the viewer. This leads to a reflection on the very nature of the image: if our encounter with images is reduced to a reality constructed and replicated by machines, what remains of the truth and authenticity of the visual experience?

Photographing people in everyday contexts aims to reverse this trend. It's not about seeking the unexpected, but about inviting the viewer to pause and reflect on what's already there, what we see every day but rarely truly observe. Black and white is a choice to strip away the superfluous, eliminate the distraction of color, and focus on the essential elements: shapes, shadows, expressions. Without color, (used in some circumstances to highlight specific details) every detail takes on a new strength and
becomes more meaningful, restoring photography to a dimension that defies the habituation and trivialization of artificial digital images.

In a world where images are produced and consumed at an ever-increasing pace, and where even their origins can be questioned, my work invites us to slow down. To look at what surrounds us with fresh eyes, to rediscover the power of photography as an instrument of truth. There is no universal message or lesson to be told, but rather an invitation to observe with greater attention and curiosity the stories that pass by us, more or less silently.

From 1985 to the present day, I have published several photography books (sometimes under the pseudonym Jack Saintgifts), the latest in 2025, which compiles black and white photographs of various personalities, taken over several years, in this and the previous century.
 

Books:

Bologna, discorso sulla città
Ed. Cappelli Bologna 1986
La mia Rimini
Ed. Cappelli Bologna 1987
Bologna, una città in...particolare
Calderini Edizioni 1992
Momenti di vita in Italia
Calderini Edizioni 1993
Caro vecchio Reno
Pontenuovo Ed. 1997
Made in Italy
Baou Tribe Ed. 2007
My Own Private NordKapp
Free As A Bird Ed. 2015
Venezia per calli e per campi
Free As A Bird Ed. 2016
Italia Fotografara 1994-1996
Free As A Bird Ed. 2016
At 66 Riding on Route 66
Free As A Bird Ed. 2017
Finalmente Praga
Free As A Bird Ed. 2017
Strolling Manhattan
Free As A Bird Ed. 2017
From Emilian Flats to Bonneville Flats
Free As A Bird Ed. 2018
De Vuelta a la Carretera
Free As A Bird Ed. 2018
Francia Portogallo
Free As A Bird Ed. 2018
Il Viaggio Inperfetto
Free As A Bird Ed. 2018
Dall'altra parte dell'Adriatico
Free As A Bird Ed. 2018
Black and White Colored Life
Free As A Bird Ed. 2019
Lupini da Viaggio
Free As A Bird Ed. 2019
The Day You Left Me I Went To Venice
Free As A Bird Ed. 2020
Donne
Free As A Bird Ed. 2021
Coppie
Free As A Bird Ed. 2021
People in Fort Lauderdale
Free As A Bird Ed. 2024
People in Venice
Free As A Bird Ed. 2024
People-Gente
Free As A Bird Ed. 2025