Book: Florence in the Making

Artisans and Artists in the Oltrarno and Beyond

By Linda Falcone

Gruppo Fotografico il Cupolone

The Florentine Press, 2022

Florence in the Making is a photographic journey that is further illustrated through “snapshot quotes” from interviews led by author and project coordinator Linda Falcone, as 21 of the Oltrarno Gaze project’s protagonists reflect on the values they find most indispensable to their creative process. To capture the essence of their creative process, 14 women photographers from the award-winning photography association, Il Cupolone, took to the town, from March to June 2022.

“‘I am not used to people asking me to express my craft in words. I usually just make the thing directly,’ said Scottish potter Kirstie Mathieson, when asked to describe her creative process,” writes Linda Falcone, editor of the book Florence in the Making: Artisans and Artists in the Oltrarno and Beyond. “Mathieson’s perspective was not uncommon among the 21 artisans and artists interviewed, with this photographic book in mind,” continues Falcone in the book’s Introduction (The Florentine Press, 2022).

“They are representatives of the Oltrarno Gaze project, a series of exhibitions, grant programs and events, that brought together some45 artists, artisans, authors and photographers, who accepted the invitation to author or immortalise art and craftsmanship inspired by historic women. For these crafters the first step is natural inclination, but the journey continues with training and technique, and that fulfilment comes when an artist or artisan develops a time-tested relationship with their medium. It is then that the maker and the material engage in a battle of the wills. Sometimes, it is love, not war that brings the two together, but the material – whether paint, canvas, clay, glass, parchment, fabric or leather – must always be considered in its own right: ‘Will it do what I want?’ is the ‘Hamletic’ question. But equally important is the flipside: ‘Will I do what it wants?’”

The Oltrarno Gaze events series was organized by The British Institute of Florence, in collaboration with Il Palmerino cultural association. Made possible by the Advancing Women Artists Legacy Fund, the program forges a bridge between modern-day art and artisanship and the works of historic female artists, with a particular focus on the Oltrarno district. Media partners: The Florentine and Calliope Arts.