Arrigo Ghi (1945) could be considered the master of colour analogue printing. He has worked with the leading Italian art photographers since the 1970s; his studio, located on the outskirts of Modena, became a place where he physically produced the history of contemporary Italian photography. Giovanni Chiaramonte, Olivio Barbieri, Luigi Ghirri and Guido Guidi are among the photographers who emerged from the Emilia Romagna region. This local cultural environment has profoundly influenced how the Italian landscape has been viewed internationally.
Ghi established a prolific relationship with Luigi Ghirri; he printed the photographer’s vision on paper and worked closely with Ghirri on discovering his “light”. For generations of photographers seeking a more artisanal approach to fine art prints, this family-run studio has served as a training ground.
A close friendship often develops between Ghi and the artists. He sees himself as a psychologist who believes in understanding the photographer’s needs without interfering. He enlarges their pictures and, importantly, allows the artists to express themselves according to their vision and sensibility. However, Ghi maintains his role as the final interpreter of the image in this process. Unlike digital printing, analogue printing has a limited number of options for customization. This simplicity is considered by Ghi to be a gift; he believes that mistakes sometimes give the image an unbridled, magical quality.
Arrigo Ghi is a particular person; he has a forceful mind and body. He is also an athlete, a pole vault champion still participating in senior sports competitions. His life is focused on discipline, competence, self-control, and faith. Even though he grew up in a region devoted more to communism than to religion (the Italian communist party regularly got up to 70% of votes in Emilia Romagna during the 1970s and 1980s), he is a passionate believer in God. Ghi defines himself as a Christian, not a Catholic, who has a very personal interpretation of religion. During a specific point in his life, he had a vision that significantly influenced his faith and the way he perceived images. Ghi’s monastic approach to photography is probably related to this experience, but most significantly, he has taken to photography with generosity and devotion, firmly believing in every print he makes.