1 PHOTO(GRAPHER): MARGHERITA SPILUTTINI
BY HUGO OLIVEIRA
HO: Where was this photograph shot?
MS: The photo was taken in Weerberg-Innerst, a small village in the Alps, situated in a side valley between Wattens and Schwaz in Tyrol, Austria, 1300m above sea level.
HO: When was it shot?
MS: In October 1996.
HO: What were the conditions?
MS: Weather conditions are apparent to the observer on first sight. They are an essential element of the image. Also quite dominant was the smell of a manure heap on the neighboring property. (It is not shown on the particular image but on another photo of this series.)
HO: Are there any particular technical aspects you want to point out?
MS: No, no specific technical aspects. 4x5'', ektachrome film.
HO: How did you get to the site?
MS: By the client who is the architect of the house, Mrs. Margarethe Heubacher-Sentobe.
HO: What do you find most interesting about this image?
MS: In the Alps, especially in the Fall, fog is a frequent weather phenomenon. It contributes to that the mountains are not only perceived as impressively beautiful, but also as threatening and mysterious. Although the building itself is shown in a "shadowy" way and is only vaguely visible, this image was published very often and has obtained a certain degree of prominence.
HO: Is there anything that you were trying to communicate through it?
MS: It is worth to explore a place photographically, especially when circumstances do not correspond to the generally accepted perceptions of "ideal" preconditions. It generates indications that often point out to the qualities of architecture and space more effectively than conventional harmonizing ways of expressions can do.
Margherita Spiluttini is an architectural photographer based in Wien.
The image and interview selected are part of the editorial project "1 Photo(grapher)".