Guido Mocafico: Venenum

Guido Mocafico is neither a scientist nor a collector of curiosities, but a photographer and lover of art who partakes of the vocabulary and the colors of nature. He regards jellyfish, snakes, and tarantulas as the creations of an unparalleled artist. A strange sensation emanates from his images, which combine a vision of the unknown with a large dose of mystery--and fear, for these animals secrete a toxic substance that when injected by sting or bite can, in certain cases, cause death. With just the right amount of distance, Mocafico offers a contemporary view of the demiurge, showing us that we live in a world of illusion. In the four books of this compendium, three of images and one of text, we get the full range of his view of this world. In Greek mythology, the Medusa sees with such intensity that whatever crosses her gaze becomes petrified . . . much like the eye of the photographer armed with a camera. The photographs in Medusa reside at the border of geometric abstraction--where is the head? where are the eyes? the sex? Serpens examines the animal that has been demon, divinity, sacred protector, ancestor. Among the 2,700 known species, few snakes are dangerous, let alone lethal, to humans, but prejudices run deep. Aranea explores the fears that scientific rationality should banish: Spiders, small and large, continue to inspire dread in us---the shiver of touching their silky filaments and, above all, feeling their fangs, used for attack and defense and filled with deadly venom.