Tomato
Studies on an Italian Icon
A study of the tomato as object, image and cultural sign.
Project statementFrom natural object
From natural object
to constructed image.
The tomato, a universal symbol of Italian culture, becomes the subject of a series of minimal still lifes. Common objects, a blue background and a single red form establish a strict visual language.
Through substitutions, color inversions and small perceptual shifts, the fruit gradually becomes a sign — an icon that questions the apparent neutrality of the photographic image.
01 — Object
Reduction.
Common objectsA fixed grammar,
A fixed grammar,
small variations.
02 — Construction
Combination.
03 — ShiftThe image stops
The image stops
being neutral.
Reduction, repetition and subtle visual shifts turn an everyday fruit into a constructed cultural symbol.
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