An Uneasy Portrait of Rome

La Famiglia DeBosis, Monteverde, Roma. © Stephan Brigidi from the book Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change published by Daylight Books

Clown #11, Ghetto area, Roma. © Stephan Brigidi from the book Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change published by Daylight Books

Movie Poster, Porco Mondo, Rome 1978. © Stephan Brigidi from the book Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change published by Daylight Books

Old Man, Sottopassagio, Roma 1977. © Stephan Brigidi from the book Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change published by Daylight Books

Woman with large plate, Roma 1978. © Stephan Brigidi from the book Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change published by Daylight Books

Parcheggiatore, Piazza Cenci, Roma 1975. © Stephan Brigidi from the book Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change published by Daylight Books

Muro Politico, Roma 1978. © Stephan Brigidi from the book Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change published by Daylight Books

Woman with Broom, Roma 1978. © Stephan Brigidi from the book Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change published by Daylight Books

Still Life with Bottle, Roma 1978. © Stephan Brigidi from the book Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change published by Daylight Books

Rome 1970s: A Decade of Turbulent Change by Stephan Brigidi published by Daylight Books

In Rome 1970s (Daylight, June 2019) photographer Stephan Brigidi captures everyday life in Rome, the capital city of Italy, during turbulent times. The 1970s were difficult years for the country, full of violence, political unrest, social challenges, and economic instability.

Through portraiture, street work, urban views, and details of Rome and its surroundings, “Brigidi’s images tell a story of how modern-day Italy came to be during a decade that is now largely forgotten,” writes Daylight in the press release.

Brigidi, who experienced firsthand the tension and events shaking Italy to the core, writes: “I think of the 1970s as a turning point in Italian life.The natural optimism inherent in Italian society was threatened. I could see it in the eyes of the people I passed each day on the streets.” Brigidi captured the shifting and uncertain moods of Italy by photographing his neighbors, fellow citizens, graffiti and architecture.

In her essay in Rome 1970s, curator and art historian Martina Tanga writes: “Brigidi’s camera lens penetrated Romans’ daily existence, recording the complexity of a decade that has since wished to be forgotten.” Rome 1970s offers viewers a chance to rediscover a far-reaching piece of a Italy’s past.

Rome 1970s
By Stephan Brigidi
Daylight Books, June 2019