Massimo Vitali

Massimo Vitali is famous for his large-format color photographs of beach scenes. Throughout the 1960s, he worked as a photojournalist for European magazines and agencies. In the early 1980s, losing faith in his medium’s ability to adequately capture reality, Vitali shifted to cinematography and worked on television and film. Eventually, he returned to using the still camera for the purpose of creative research. Vitali began capturing panoramas of sun-soaked beaches in his native Italy in 1995, immortalizing their crowds, architecture, and natural beauty. He’s since widened his scope, shooting beachgoers in Turkey, Spain, and beyond. Vitali has exhibited in New York, London, Vienna, Tokyo, and Rome, among other cities, and his work has been acquired by the Guggenheim, the Museo Reina Sofía, and the Elton John Collection. While Vitali’s photographs capture a hazy, Mediterranean beauty, they also consider leisure, voyeurism, and conformity.