Diana Louise Bartlett & L'Altra Gloria

Photographs by Diana Louise Bartlett & Hedi Stanton, interview by Jeanne-Salomé Rochat

Diana, tell us about your recent publishing project, L'Altra Gloria.

This first volume of L’Altra Gloria is an exploration of the Le Marche region in Italy. The project is always going to be an exploration of reality. Photography is such a selfish act in many ways, showcasing only what I see — so no matter the eye, I just hope it encourages people to see.

How did you land at Le Marche? What attracted you there specifically?

It was a collaboration between Emanuele Della Valle (who published the book) and I. I had initially gone to the region to photograph a campaign for Tod’s which he had asked me to do when I met him in New York at 19 years old. I said ‘no’ at the time but when he asked me 10 years later, I said ‘yes.’ Though when I went to the region and the first rolls of film came back, I hadn’t photographed a Tod’s campaign. I had photographed people, food and scenes of the region. He asked me, ‘in an ideal world, where do you see these images?’ I said, ‘a book.’ And that was the birth of L’Altra Gloria.

Will you go back there with the publication, and if so, what will you do?

Absolutely, I’m thinking about exploring winter scenes in Marche. I don’t think enough foreigners know the beauty the region has to offer. It’s mostly known as an industrial region but what many people don’t know is that’s it sits on the Adriatic Sea, a 20 minute ferry ride from Croatia. Right now I’m going to St. Moritz with the L’Altra Gloria, the idea is to entice the viewer with ‘the other glory’ even if it’s a place that’s very well known.

A lot of people have a weird idea of what they imagine magazine makers do all day.

It’s true, a lot of people don’t think I work. I’m usually on a plane every few days so each day is different and depends on which role I’m playing. I’m a photographer but have been an interior decorator, a stylist and accidentally a model.

Did you set any goals for each day?

I don’t really do ‘goals’ per se, each day I’d make a list of locations and if I could squeeze a little extra beach time in there I definitely would!

Do you work alone? Have you always worked this way?

I have always worked alone. Since being a stylist and interior decorator I can play those roles when I’m photographing. In terms of the project coming to fruition — I didn’t work alone and I’m very grateful for Emanuele and the art director, Katharina Korbjuhn.

How much is L’Altra Gloria about you and your life?

It’s all about my life because my life became my work. I’m lucky in that way. But it’s really about Emanuele’s life because what’s captured is the region that birthed him. Exhibiting these photos in public space isn’t about either of us — it’s about others, capturing the magic of the region through its people and places.

Ultimately it’s a love letter to Le Marche.

How has L'Altra Gloria changed your life?

It’s allowed me to photograph and exhibit what I see without restriction. It’s also allowed me to be publicly vulnerable — something I lived in fear of before.

How do you approach photography? Is there a particular head space that you enter into, or is it in some way similar to reality?

It’s all reality. I never understood anything else. The way I approach photography speaks to instinct, human connection, emotion and vulnerability. There’s never a clear narrative but the outcome and point of view is always distinct.

You strike me as a perfectionist.

I think I’m close to a perfectionist and it paralyzed me to put anything out there in public space in the past. I don’t think L’Altra Gloria is perfect, there are so many things I would have done differently. But the fact is, I’m 29. My photography will grow in time. I’m happy to be here today, sitting in imperfect.

Do you have habits in terms of image making, that you have to fight against?

I have learned patterns in image making from commercial work that I’m trying to unlearn. I fought against this in Marche and during the selection process of images, ‘what is art and what is commerce’ is the question I kept asking myself.

Who are the people, or characters, populating the images?

The majority of characters are from the region of Le Marche and were captured spontaneously. There are a few people who aren’t from the region like photographer Amanda Charchian, painter Ariana Papademetropoulos and fashion director Osman Ahmed — as some of the images were captured over a summer holiday.

Can you tell where do these stories unfold and in what timeframe? And does that matter?

I took 3 trips to Marche over the course of this past summer. The whole book was captured in 2 weeks, but no I don’t think timeframe matters. This documentary format work is never ending and this book will connect to the next book even if the subject or the region is different. It’s a way of seeing that goes beyond time.

It does feel like an attempt at world-building.

It’s absolutely world-building but it’s all instinctual. There isn’t a through story line or theme.

I think it’s an attempt at human connection, authenticity and an appreciation for simple pleasures.

At least that’s my experience in making. Captured through the eyes of someone washing themselves, through food, through architecture, even religion. It’s a pause for emotion and evocation.

What makes food attractive to you, personally?

Food is quite sensual, it acts as a tool for human connection and pleasure. But personally it’s quite interesting — on a psychosocial level you can tell everything about a person by the way they eat, don’t eat, what they eat.

What’s your favorite image in the book?

It’s the image of Maria on the cover, it’s the last image I took. I stopped by her house for 5 minutes on the way to the airport and I knew it was the cover!

Find out everything about L'Altra Gloria at www.laltragloria.com!