John Cornicello Artist's Statement

John Cornicello
Artist’s Statement
October 2008

I photograph because I have to.

The experience of collaborating with a another artist (the model) is the point of photography for me. That we end up with a beautiful image to share with the world is secondary. Process over result. The collaboration is a performance with two or more actors who are equals of each other. Unrehearsed. The people in the photographs are not objects. They are real people who are integral to the process.

I photograph people because they are, to me, the ultimate form of beauty. People photos are also a form of self-portrait and reflection of my inner thoughts and feelings.

Photographing the figure is fun. It is never work. Though both photographer and subject may well be exhausted at the end of a session, it is the good kind of exhaustion. It is also a very personal learning experience for both model and photographer.