Luigi Ghirri’s Views (Italian: Vedute), created throughout the 1970s, reflects the artist’s early explorations into the conceptual and aesthetic potential of photography. Although included in his first 1978 photobook Kodachrome, Views emerges as a distinct and self-contained project within Ghirri’s body of work. During this period, advancements in camera accessibility and the growing prevalence of travel opened new opportunities for observing and documenting the world—a transformation that Ghirri actively engaged with in his work. The series deliberately embraces diverse points of attention and apparent incoherence, reflecting Ghirri’s intention to highlight ambiguity and the fragmented nature of perception.
Influenced by conceptual art, surrealism, and semiotics, Ghirri positions photography as a dual tool for recording and questioning visual reality, encouraging viewers to critically engage with the act of seeing. Ghirri’s compositions often emphasize framing, using architectural elements or natural forms to guide the viewer’s eye through layers of foreground and background. His choice of Kodachrome film, known for its vibrant yet naturalistic color palette, underscores his commitment to presenting the world as he saw it—in color, as part of everyday life. Light plays a subtle but significant role in the series, with natural lighting emphasizing textures and tones without resorting to dramatic contrasts. This restrained visual language creates a contemplative tone, urging viewers to linger on the familiar and reconsider its complexity.
Ghirri adopted a deliberately straightforward technical approach, using readily available tools like a portable camera and opting for commercial processing of his Kodachrome films. This approach demonstrated his dedication to demystifying artistic photography, reinforcing his belief in the medium’s accessibility and democratic potential. By prioritizing simplicity and direct observation over technical manipulation, Ghirri underscored the essence of the photographic act and challenged established artistic conventions. Embracing tools and techniques often associated with amateur photography, Ghirri disrupted traditional artistic hierarchies and placed the act of seeing at the core of his practice.
Although Views is a distinct project, it is frequently examined alongside Kodachrome, as both were included in Ghirri's 1978 photobook Kodachrome and showcased in the 1979 exhibition Vera Fotografia at the Palazzo della Pilotta in Parma. Its visibility has since been reinforced by the MACK facsimile of Kodachrome (2012) and major retrospectives such as The Map and the Territory (Museum Folkwang; Museo Reina Sofía; Jeu de Paume, 2018–2019). The series is often noted for clarifying Ghirri’s early color practice and its influence on later readings of Italian landscape photography.
