Alessandro Puccinelli

From a very early age, Alessandro Puccinelli has felt a deep connection to the ocean. Born in Italy, he later moved to Portugal in order to be as close as possible to the sea. Not only is the coast at the center of his life, it is also the inspiration for his breathtaking wave photographs.

In his artworks, Puccinelli shows the moment a strong wave crashes against the rocks, briefly blurring with the clouds of a stormy sky. The photographer describes that instant as the unique moment in which: “The fury of the ocean seems to take a breath before inexorably and inevitably starting again with the next wave.”

The photographs from his Intersections series were taken in Alentejo, Portugal along the coastal strip of Costa Vicentina. They are dramatic photographs; we are seized by their intensity. It appears as though we are standing on the edge of the cliffs looking down into the turbulent forces of nature below.

Drawing inspiration from William Turner’s romantic, and at times dramatic, landscape painting, Puccinelli reveals the powerful elegance – and simultaneously the raw beauty – of the ocean.

Alessandro Puccinelli was born in Italy in 1969. In the early 90s, he was drawn to Australia to pursue advertising photography. In 2008, Puccinelli shifted his home base to Portugal. He has received numerous awards for his photographs including the Polaroid International Award, the Sony World Photography Award, and the Hasselblad Masters Award.