Gianni Branciforte
Since I’ve picked up a camera, I have only ever shot landscape photos: coast lines, stars, trees, jetties and anything else that exists in nature. In this past year, I finally found what it was I wanted to capture with my camera through my experiences living in New Brunswick, New Jersey. While I would still consider them landscapes, the photos I take now are as industrial and man-made as it gets. Instead of oceans, I began shooting concrete and street lights, instead of stars, I began shooting parking structures and hallways. This stark contrast encouraged newer and more personal narratives to unfold. My father was a civil engineer and a contractor, and he and his father built quite a few things in the state of New Jersey. A large portion of their accomplishments include much of Rutgers campus. My mom and brother are also alumni. Documenting the places my father built and where my other family members attended school feels like I am documenting my own history.
My photography is strictly made at night. I’ve suffered from insomnia half of my life. In an effort to tire myself out, I will often grab my camera and run around New Brunswick for a few hours at a time. Sometimes it’s planned, sometimes it isn’t, but it encourages me to maintain this habit of night photography. Shooting at night in New Brunswick might seem to be an eerie and creepy task but I find that it is more peaceful than anything and it makes me appreciate the city I live in. Shooting at late hours means that no one is around to disturb or question me about what I’m doing. It relieves me of the pressure that I would otherwise face if I were to shoot during the daytime: people watching, tons of movement, an overall stressful environment.
I’m glad to be able to say that my family’s roots in Rutgers and the city of New Brunswick are so present. I’m glad I’m the one who got to document it and display it for everyone to see. It’s a way I can let people into my life without saying too many words.
