IN CONVERSATION:CHIARA MOTTIRONI
Art/Photography
IN CONVERSATION:
CHIARA MOTTIRONI
With over a year passing since the first lockdown, many of us have been confined to the same four walls for over 365 days now. Lives largely void of any opportunities to get out and see the world, to strike up conversations with friendly faces and total strangers alike.
For others, the extra time has offered an opportunity for introspection, to revisit past projects, past works previously deemed unworthy. For Chiara Mottironi, 2020 offered exactly that, as a photographer in 2020 the focus of her lens shifted from the world around her to herself and the body of work she has produced over the last few years. With the time lockdown brought, and the support of the team at X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Chiara produced ‘Chin Down Go In Smiling’ a zine celebrating the banger racing scene of East Anglia.
We caught up with Chiara to collectively reflect on the year of lockdowns in the UK, what this has meant for her creative process and what she’s made a conscious effort to leave behind in 2020. Our full interview with Chiara follows below.
Words:
Luc Hinson
Artwork:
Chiara Mottironi
BB: Chiara tell us a bit about your background? How did you end up in the UK?
CM: I’m originally from Italy and moved to the UK when I was about 5 or 6 and grew up kind of between both countries. Initially life here was really hard, neither myself or my family spoke any English so we would teach each other through books or watching tv and being at school allowed me and my brother to pick it up more quickly. I’d always studied Art throughout my school years until uni which is where I decided to do Illustration. After my degree I actually went on to do pottery and picked up a camera during that time as it’s something I was always interested in. My dad studied photography but never pursued it as a career, so growing up I was used to being surrounded by his amazing imagery and it inspired me to do the same.
BB: How did you get your start in photography?
CM: Besides being obsessed with the family photos I grew up around, I love to people watch, humans are fascinating! They say 5 seconds is the time it takes for someone to form an opinion of you which is wild when you think about it but also why I’m so drawn to seeing how people interact with each other, whether it’s facial expressions or body language I like to use these exchanges to inform my work. Growing up in Norfolk there was never a shortage of interesting subcultures and characters, it’s one of places where you can get lost in all the passing conversations but also not be shy to join in and learn about another person's story.
Initially I knew I wanted to document what I was around so I started off by using my phone, it was quick and easy and then I moved onto buying my first film camera. Living somewhere that was already visually interesting to me helped a lot in the early stages and soon enough I found myself in the banger racing scene. I’d always been into cars and when a friend reached out who was taking part in the races I’d found my first project to document.
When I’d released my zines I was so nervous, to the point where I was questioning what the fuck I was doing with it all. Calling myself a photographer gave me so much anxiety as I felt undeserving of that title, thinking that because I hadn’t studied it at uni then I couldn’t call myself one let alone allow it to take me anywhere. Being self-taught I still struggle with these thoughts a lot but my love for it overrides all that negative chat which is so easy to succumb to.
BB: What impact did growing up in the UK and having that exposure to Italian culture have on you?
CM: In terms of my work it’s been interesting experiencing that stereotypical British aloofness, like their guard is up and they’re trying to work out your motives, compared to Italy where you’ve got people hugging you left, right and centre, always down to talk, it’s very warm and open. I feel like that openness, that chattiness has helped me within my work, especially amongst the banger racing scene. It’s allowed me to approach people, strike a conversation and make them feel at ease quite quickly so it’s served me well in the way I approach my projects rather than my actual image-making.
On a more personal level anyone that’s grown up between two different countries understands that feeling of being almost in limbo, like you’re not sure where you belong but being able to travel between Rome and the UK has been a huge privilege and blessing, it’s allowed me to stay connected to my roots.
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GROWING UP IN NORFOLK THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERESTING SUBCULTURES AND CHARACTERS, IT’S ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU MENTION AND PEOPLE ARE LIKE WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT?
BB: Where do you draw your influences and inspiration from when you’re picking up a new project?
CM: Life to be honest, the everyday moments and small acts of care are what inspire me the most, I’m quite nostalgic in that way. I think over the years and shooting more frequently my work has gained a more cinematic feel to it, I’ll be riding on a bus people watching and just see things in frames. I never fail to find inspiration from looking at past/current interests, usually anything that I was into as a kid, from video games to martial arts, books and film of course too.
BB: How has this year impacted your creative process and ability to get out there and shoot?
CM: It’s been hard, especially during the first lockdown. Just before Covid hit I’d gone to Devon to shoot my next project, I was so excited as it was something new to focus on after the banger racing series and then the pandemic rolled through and froze everything.
I struggled with my mental health a lot during this last year, it impacted the relationship I had with myself which in turn seeped into my work as I couldn’t get out there and shoot what I wanted to. I didn’t want to pick up my camera, I just didn’t have the mental space for it so I decided to see this as an opportunity to get myself into a better space both mentally and physically. Accepting the fact that I wasn’t alone in feeling this way was a small comfort in itself, I was able to let go and slow down. It’s easy to forget how beneficial long breaks from your work can be, especially right now when the pressure of having to constantly post/share new work is at an all time high. Listening to what I needed allowed me to see the bigger picture, shooting would pick up eventually but my health came first.
BB: Why did you decide to produce Chin Down Go In Smiling?
CM: I think initially when I first started shooting the project I didn’t know where it was going to go or if I’d be good at taking pictures to be honest. After two years I’d gained more confidence within my work and was planning on turning the series into a book. Then during the summer of lockdown, Mike and Josh that run XFEL were taking submissions for their Employee of the Month Vol. II so I thought you know what, I’m sitting on this work let me just send them some photos and see what happens.
A few days later the guys dropped me a message and asked if I had any zines or prints and if I didn’t then they’d love to support it! So I spent most of the summer working on it, I had all this free time now so it was perfect really. I’d never considered my series existing as a zine but it was a great way to get my images out and keep it purely as a visual story, I feel like the images, the faces, they speak for themselves.
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FOR ME, I DIDN’T WANT IT TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN IMAGERY, OTHER THAN A VISUAL STORY. IT’S AN INSIGHT INTO BANGER RACING I FEEL LIKE THE IMAGES, THE FACES, THEY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
BB: What made you want to share it?
CM: It was kind of an ode to close friends and family, to everyone that supported me during the process. I wanted others to see the moments of love and joy in a space that’s so chaotic you wouldn’t think they existed, or at the very least weren’t easy to spot. Chin Down Go In Smiling is a testimony to the scenes community, their willingness to let me in and allow me to shoot is something which I’ll forever be grateful for.
BB: What does home mean to you?
CM: Home will always mean my family.
BB: What’s one thing that you’re grateful for in 2020?
CM: I’m grateful for my friends. My friendships have really flourished during this year, the connections have become deeper, the support is stronger, it’s not like we didn’t love each other before the pandemic but this year has made us all a whole lot closer and it's been really special to experience that together.
BB: What’s the one thing you’d like to leave behind in 2020?
CM: As a personal thing, self-doubt. It’s something that puts so many mental blocks into whatever you want to do, so no more of that please.
BB: What are your hopes for 2021?
CM: Being able to start the projects that I want! I’m looking forward to making new connections and hopefully(!) being able to travel again. Ultimately though I'm just excited to see what the next year of my life will bring.
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