“Invented worlds” or “ir-realities” are what Paolo Ventura calls the elaborately constructed dioramas that fill the frame of his brooding, dream-like photographs. The Italian-born artist, of the Aperture monograph Winter Stories (Fall 2009), has a new exhibition The Future of the Anarchist opening Saturday, February 25, 2012 at Obsolete Gallery in Venice, CA showcasing his fantastical, moody and meticulously staged images.

In the clip above from 2009, Ventura explains the origin of his project as well as his various inspirations. He also shows the different steps of his work leading to the final photograph–from sketching, to crafting the characters and sets, to setting the lights and taking the polaroids.

A deluxe, limited edition book and print set of Winter Stories is still available for purchase at Aperture. The clothbound collection features 65 four-color images and one unique drawing tipped in, signed and numbered by the artist, alongside an 11 1/2 x 14 in. signed Digital C-print of The Show.

Opening reception:
Saturday, February 25, 2012
6:00-9:00 pm

Exhibition on view:
Saturday, February 25-Saturday, March 24,2012

Obsolete Gallery
222 Main Street
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-0024

Ventura has also been featured in Aperture magazine issues 203 and 180.

Images copyright Paolo Ventura

Join internationally acclaimed artist Paolo Ventura for a round table discussion with Aperture book editor Denise Wolff and Cultural Attaché, Embassy of Italy, Renato Miracco as part of the Books and Beyond Series of the Library of Congress’s Center of the Book and to commemorate the gift of two handmade artist albums by Ventura to the Library’s Prints and Photographs Collection. A master of narrative staged photography, Ventura brings his imagined stories to life by building three-dimensional sets in miniature. In his most recent book, Winter Stories, he invents a moving series of photographs depicting scenes from the memory bank of a fictional circus performer as he looks back on his life. The talk will celebrate inspiration and process, presenting a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Winter Stories and sharing stories from Ventura’s life, as well as the elaborate handmade sets, drawings, ephemera, and personal collections that inform his work. He will also be available to sign copies of the book.

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 3:00 pm
Pickford Theater, third floor
Madison Building

Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave S.E.
Washington DC

Click here to view Aperture published monograph Paolo Ventura’s Winter Stories

Paolo Ventura show-and-tell on Winter Stories from Aperture Foundation on Vimeo.

Paolo Ventura presents Winter Stories, opening Thursday, December 10 at Hasted Hunt Kraeutler Gallery in New York City, with an artist’s reception Wednesday, December 9 at 6pm. Paolo’s invented worlds take on a life of their own in his beautiful large-scale prints. To learn more about the project and Paolo’s process, watch an edited excerpt of Paolo Ventura and book editor, Denise Wolff, engaging in a show-and-tell on the book Winter Stories at Aperture Gallery this past October. In this clip, Paolo explains how the Winter Stories project came about with the idea to recreate an invented world around a circus performer. Paolo presents the sets he brought from his studio and explains how he builds them playing with different perspectives. He also shares stories of the different objects in his sets inspired by childhood memories, Fellini movies among others. Then, Denise Wolff, who edited Winter Stories, takes us on a behind-the-scenes book tour revealing the making of this limited-edition monograph.

Paolo Ventura: Winter Stories
Opening Reception: Wednesday, December 9, 2009  6-8pm
Thursday, December 10, 2009—Saturday, January 23, 2010
Hasted Hunt Kraeutler Gallery
537 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 627-0006

Paolo Ventura’s Winter Stories makes a great gift, and is now 30% off as part of Aperture’s Holiday Sale!

Paolo Ventura on Winter Stories from Aperture Foundation on Vimeo.

Watch an interview of artist Paolo Ventura in his studio discussing work from his new book Winter Stories (Aperture, October 2009). In this clip, Ventura explains the origin of the project as well as his inspirations. He also shows the different steps of his work leading to the final photograph, from the drawings, crafting the characters and sets, to his preliminary polaroids.

Join internationally acclaimed artist, Paolo Ventura, for a special evening of show-and-tell on Tuesday, October 13, 6:30 pm. with Aperture’s Book Editor, Denise Wolff, to celebrate Ventura’s new book, Winter Stories. Ventura will display many of his elaborate handmade sets, drawings, ephemera, and personal collections, sharing stories from the book and his life. He will also be available to sign copies of this just-released publication.
Click here for full event details.

Click here to purchase Winter Stories from Aperture.

Click here to view more interviews and multimedia features from Aperture.

Paolo Ventura is now on press at Editoriale Bortolazzi-Stei in Verona, Italy for his upcoming Aperture title Winter Stories. Paolo Ventura invents an imaginative series of photographs depicting scenes from the memories of an old circus performer as he looks back on his life. The book will also include ephemera from Ventura’s working process as well as the artful drawings he creates as guides to his elaborate sets. Check out this exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the publishing process and get a sneak peek at his book to be released this fall.