One of the most innovative and controversial photographers on the international scene has left us. Oliviero Toscani, a name that has marked the history of photography and visual communication. With his bold and provocative style, Toscani has been able to unite art, fashion and society in a unique way, creating images that challenge conventions and leave an indelible mark on the collective memory.
What distinguishes Toscani from many other photographers is his ability to go beyond the surface of things, to "look beyond the image". His photographs are never simply aesthetic, but always convey a powerful, sometimes disturbing, message. His idea of photography is not limited to a technique, but develops in a context of social and cultural analysis. Toscani has often stated that his mission is not just to take beautiful photographs, but to take photographs that tell truths, that shake and force the viewer to reflect. His iconoclastic approach has made him an often divisive figure: loved by some, criticized by others, but always recognized as an innovator. His audacity in dealing with difficult themes, such as death, illness, and social inequalities, has led him to be a reference figure in the panorama of contemporary photography. Oliviero Toscani was much more than a photographer: he is a thinker, a visionary and a provocateur. His career is a testament to the power of images in our society, their ability to influence and tell stories that go beyond the surface. His advertising campaigns, photographs and projects continue to be a source of inspiration for new photographers and for anyone interested in understanding the power of photography as a universal language.
As it was for the great Michele Franzese who in 1998 took inspiration from one of his advertisements and certainly did not go unnoticed.
''The billboard is quite clear even with the censorship applied: a seductive girl and a masked man are in a rather provocative and inappropriate pose. The billboards have been censored to hide the scandalous image which, as the company owner himself declared, is placed there only and solely to attract attention.
But the funny thing is in the type of censorship that the municipality of Naples decided to apply to deal with the vulgarity of the image: instead of removing the poster, they covered the most compromising part of the photo.
This type of censorship, besides being rather useless, is a good advertising channel in its turn: the banal and vulgar advertising message that could have emerged from the photo now arouses interest and will certainly be talked about much more.
A very happy Franzese, interviewed by Metropolisweb.it, declared: " We had no intention of scandalizing anyone, but only of capturing the attention of a new clientele. If Catholic associations or others were scandalized, it is not our fault. We know that the billboards were covered and if the competent authorities decided to do so, it means that perhaps they had their reasons, which we respect. We had regularly paid the taxes for the posting and we really did not believe we could upset public opinion that much if not for pure publicity ."
However, the advertising hit the mark, so much so that the images even ended up on the television program “Chiambretti night”.
What has caused the most scandal is none other than the reversal of roles : in a society where men seem to be able to get everything they want and where we have often seen eloquent images where it was he who took advantage of a woman as an object, now the roles are reversed and it is the woman who does what she wants, even in an all too explicit manner.
" We absolutely did not want to become a political vehicle, on the contrary" , this is the last comment of the Franzese brothers, who thanks to censorship have seen the campaign's publicity increase exponentially.
Well then...long live censorship!