With a bird’s eye view of the landscapes, thoroughfares and infrastructure comprising quotidian existence, Gianluca Santoni’s aerial photography captures the psychosocial residues of lived space. His photographic prints frame visions of the pastoral, the touristic and the urban. The artist terms these visions "microworlds," because the photographs cause a compelling alteration of scale. This perspective models our modern relationship to the environment, and in many ways speaks to an increasing sense of physical alienation. Through the seeming perfection of the miniature worlds he depicts, Santoni effectively expresses the contemporary subject’s own emotions, at the same time maintaining the positive essence and formal simplicity of each locale.
Born and raised in Tuscany, Gianluca Santoni views his experience of having lived in the cradle of the Renaissance as a powerful stimulus to his aesthetic pursuits. He has been the recipient of a number of prestigious art prizes in such contests as the Fuji Euro Press Photo Awards, the Fiandre Awards and the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall Photo Competition.