Antonio Agostinelli

“I believe you don’t have to have heroes in life, everyone has something different to teach you. Perhaps the only hero should be the world and all it has to teach you.”

Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live and work now?

Antonio: I’m from Abruzzo, a region in the middle of Italy surrounded by mountains, the sea and awesome food but I’m actually living in Milan for work.

How did you get started in photography? What was your first camera?

I think when I sold my first pictures they were shot on an iPhone 5. I always loved photography and videography thanks to the same passion of my father who loved taking photos of every single moment of our family days. But the moment I realized I could use it as my expression of life was when I was living in England in 2013 using my iPhone. When I came back to Italy I bought a Nikon 7100 as my first camera.

As an artist, how do you find your creative inspiration?

I would like to start from a somewhat broader concept which is that of the current photographic world.

Finding inspiration now, as easy as it has become with the arrival of the internet and social media, is actually very complicated because we are bombarded daily by millions of images that inevitably affect our way of seeing. Starting from this I say that it is very difficult to make your way and find your own style, if you do not return to the primordial concepts of our life and of what’s really essential to be able to express ourselves: creativity and technique.

I believe that each of us is a filter that stores everything we see and hears to then filter it in our own way. In essence, we are sponges that must be continuously wet and squeezed and to do this we always need new stimuli and new points of view.

To answer the question therefore, I take inspiration from everything around me. I’m always looking for new scenarios and points of view, traveling a lot and avoiding contact with social media as much as possible and whatever else could stunt my creative wings.

What really makes you happy?

I think being able to do everything you’ve always dreamed of and sharing everything with those who have never believed in you. Beyond this, my family. And my dogs.

What is the best gift you’ve ever been given?

I think my best gift is my family. Having a family that always supported my dreams, even the most bizarre, and tried to help me any way they could is the best gift I can have.

What’s your favorite season of the year?

My favorite season is summer. Who doesn’t love the sun, beach and to go in flip flops all day? Maybe someone exists, or maybe he’s lying.

What was your first job?

If you mean the first time I made money.... I think it was when I was a waiter. But I’ve literally had so many jobs hahaha.

In 3 words how would you describe yourself?

Tenacious, dreamer, Aquarius.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

I think everyone in the world dreams of California, there is also a song but I’ve never been there so maybe I don’t like it.

I love Italy for the variety it offers but you know, no one dreams of living in a place where they already live so I think Byron Bay. I lived in Australia and I fell in love with that small piece of paradise: it’s chill, healthy and free. So maybe Byron Bay.

Who is your biggest hero or inspiration?

I try to get a lot out of everything, especially books. I like to read and learn anything even though I was horrible at school.

I’ve been playing basketball for most of my life and team play has taught me a lot. Kobe Bryant taught me a lot- his obsessive mentality had a great impact on my way of life.

My father and my mother both taught me about hardness, fragility, education, and being an artist in life rather than in art.

I believe you don’t have to have heroes in life, everyone has something different to teach you. Perhaps the only hero should be the world and all it has to teach you.

What advice would you give to other aspiring artists?

I don’t think I can give advice because I am the first one to make mistakes every day. But I can tell you what I have learned in my short life.

It may seem trivial but, never give up and remain humble always. Keep your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds. We are all the same and no one is superior. Life is a cycle; everything changes but the true and the real remain: it is like the sand on the bottom of a torrent that flows wildly. It is important to have strong roots to face life. Having said that, never abandon your dreams even if you are forced to because today you are on the ground, tomorrow you could be on the moon.

Antonio Agostinelli is an Italian photographer based out of Milan. To see more of his photography, you can check out his work on Instagram @blacc.o.

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