GIORGIO BELLIA ARTISTA FOTOGRAFO - THE ARTIST PHOTOGRAPHER

Context and Origin of the Catalogue

The volume was published in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name held at MAUTO (National Automobile Museum of Turin) from October 15, 2019, to January 12, 2020. The exhibition and this accompanying publication were conceived to celebrate Giorgio Bellia receiving the prestigious Matita d'Oro (Golden Pencil) award for photography, as well as to honor his extraordinary donation of his entire historical archive to the museum's Documentation Center.

Contents and Visual Style

The catalogue gathers and immortalizes a carefully curated selection of 55 photographic works showcased during the exhibition. Through its pages, the book documents Bellia’s audacious, visionary, and somewhat irreverent approach to the rigid canons of traditional automotive photography. Key features highlighted in the catalogue include:

• The Art of Staging: The pages reveal the flair of an artist capable of building surprising sets. Emblematic is an anecdote (noted by the curators) where Bellia describes filling a car's interior with balloons and letting them fly away—a scenographic trick designed to visually convey the car's spaciousness.
• Landscapes and Vehicles: Critical texts, including reflections by MAUTO President Benedetto Camerana, emphasize that Bellia's greatest value lies in the settings chosen for his subjects. While the cars are often framed with classic geometric rigor (perfectly flat sides, front, rear, or standard three-quarter views), they are ennobled by landscapes described as majestic, austere, or wild.
• The Contrast Between Precision and Spontaneity: As stated in the catalogue’s own text, although every shot is characterized by an extreme attention to compositional details, "spontaneity never fails, captured thanks to improvisation."

The Subjects

In addition to prestigious vehicles from coachbuilders like Pininfarina (who favored Bellia to immortalize his most beautiful Ferraris), the catalogue also explores the photographer's "independent" work. This includes reportages of historic races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and candid portraits of icons such as Enzo Ferrari, Marcello Mastroianni, and Steve McQueen.

Bilingual Structure

To reflect the international scope of a photographer whose talent was hailed as early as 1962 by Scott Bailey, director of the famous American magazine Quarterly, the entire textual, critical, and caption apparatus of the book is strictly bilingual: Italian and English.