Vincent Cianni

Vincent Cianni is an American photographer, educator, and community organizer. He primary labels himself as a documentary photographer and he focuses on issues related to social justice, civil rights, and human rights. He has done works covering the Berlin Wall, AIDS, Skaters, and Gays in the military. All his work is very involved and very moving. When Cianni takes on a project, he full immerses himself into the lives and the world in which he is trying to document. He does this to form real connections and bonds with the individuals within his work and you can see that personal touch in all his photos s that make them that more special.

Cianni’s first documentary was on the Berlin Wall, “East Berlin: And the Wall Came Down”. It was in this project that he was working on photo developments in his dark room when he heard on the radio that the wall had fell, so naturally his next act was to buy himself a ticket and head over there. It was there that he then stayed in a squatter house, recorded, and documented the events that unfolded in the days that followed the fall of the wall.

Another series of his is his work on AIDS “A Journey Through the Early Years of AIDS”. Its in these images that he covers the epidemic which at the time was new and unheard of. He shows how this effect neighborhoods, families, cultures, relationships, and himself. I say himself, because this piece was very personal to Cianni, because he is gay and he was losing a lot of friends to this crisis, including a few partners of his.

A third project of his was his project in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “We Skate Hardcore” was a nine-year documentary of the skater scene primarily focused amongst the Hispanic population and this specific group of kids. The individuals within the photos grew very close with Cianni. He would hang out with them daily, sometimes all day. The invited him to their social gathers, to birthday parties, and everything else there was to invite him to. The relation ships that he formed with these people has continued even after the nine-year span and he keeps in contact with them. One of the guys invited him to his wedding and even came to the gallery opening when Cianni spoke. Something that makes these photos stand out is that Cianni had the guys and girls that where in the photos write on the border and edges of the picture itself, permanently making it part of the piece. I personally see this as an amazing touch, and it makes the photos have an even deeper meaning and a sense of it actually being of a human being. You can look at the photos and then read the writing on them and it feels like the individual within on the image is reaching out and talking to you. To me I think this is outstanding and I loved walking around the gallery reading some of the stories.

The final project that Cianni presented was his video and audio investigation of the gay and lesbian men and women that severed in the military. “Gays in the Military” was a result of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” initiative that was set for the military. This initiative made it so that gay and lesbian women could serve in the military, but they couldn’t label that they were gay or lesbians and the couldn’t be asked either. It was idealized that this would protect these people, but it didn’t. Through his investigations Cianni found and heard terrible stories of that these individuals had to endure, and they had to stay quite about it all or else they would be thrown out of the military. In his book he placed all the photos of the individuals first so you could see them as just a human being. He then placed the interviews of the people with their name if they allowed him to stet them. BY doing this you then can flip back and look at the photo that goes with the interview and it makes the image that stronger.

This photo is one of the many within the Gays in the Military. This photo was particular intersting to me becasue it has so many suddle things that make you feel how the individulal in the photo feels. He is fully dressed in his uniform yet you cant see his face at all. His face is hidden in shadow just like how he had to stay in hidding in the military. There is also a open closet behind him. This gives us a sense that he has "come out of the closet" but isnt fully ready to show himself.

Vincent Cianni is an amazing induvial. He goes to great lengths for his projects and it shows in the final products.