The cinematic drama of a declining empire

American elegy — From the vast landscapes of the West to the industrial fringes of New York City, Luca Campigotto’s photos offer a nostalgic and captivating vision of America.

Hailing from Venice, Luca Campigotto arrived in the United States for the very first time in 1981 at the tender age of 19. Dazzled by the country he had only known through photography and film, he felt a profound connection to a nation fueled by the mythic American Dream.  

“The night I left, flying over New York, I said to myself: ‘One day I want to live here,’” he recalls. As fate would have it, in 2012, Campigotto moved to New York and immediately felt at home in a world he recognised from the work of photographers such as Weegee, Diane Arbus, and Joel Meyerowitz as well as filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Sidney Lumet. 

The Navajo Trail, Route 160, near Durango, Colorado, 2018

“As a foreigner, living in the United States has always been like stepping into one of those films. At a certain point you want to become part of it,” Campigotto says. “New York has cultivated and spread its myth around the world just like my Venice did in late Middle Ages.”

Fuelled by a passion for travel photography, Campigotto set forth to photograph America’s wild landscapes, industrial areas, and cities at night. The images feel animated and alive, even though there are no people in the frame. 

Describing his work as “the art of escape” into a world that he has imagined through books and period films, Campigotto crafts a cinematic tribute to an empire in decline in the new book American Elegy (Silvana).

Glendale, Utah, 2018

Butte, Montana, 2019

“A lot of what has nourished both my knowledge and my fantasies about this country seems to me no longer exists,” says Campigotto. “But my passion was not affected. Rightly or wrongly, mine is a sincere and faithful love. And as in a love story, sometimes it seems to matter more what we thought it could be than what it really was.”

Adopting a slow, immersive approach, Campigotto set off to see America by car, crafting a series of poignant, elegiac photographs accompanied by poetic reflections of his journey. “My Venetian streak is ironic, often even cynical, but American Elegy is a sentimental journey,” he says. 

Soho, New York, 2009

As the book progresses, Campigotto finds splendor and majesty in tropes that have become cliché, transforming road trips, motels, gas stations, diners, abandoned cars, and faded signage into paeans of lost grandeur. “I always say that photography is the supreme tool of nostalgia. I try to use my camera like a time machine,” he says. “Taking photographs consoles us; it tells us that we love the world around us — that we are able to rescue something that was being lost.”

“Photographing industrial archeology, I want to underline the heroic figure of what is left, despite everything. Something that has come a long way and has resisted at all costs. There is something sublime in rust, in verdigris… like contemplating the passage of time in the sand of an hourglass.”

Monument Valley, Utah, 2018

Wendell, Idaho, 2019

Butte, Montana, 2019

Butte, Montana, 2019

Williamsburg, New York, 2012

Butte, Montana, 2019

Monument Valley, Utah, 2018

American Elegy is available now. 

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram


You might like

Vibrant book covers against bleak, rocky hills and buildings; 'Babylon' and 'Albion' text in bold lettering.
Culture

Dalia Al-Dujaili: “When you’re placeless, nature can fill the void”

Babylon, Albion — As her new book publishes, the British-Iraqi author speaks about connecting with the land as a second-generation migrant, plants as symbols of resistance, and being proud of her parents.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Three orange book covers with the title "Foreign Fruit" against a dark background.
Culture

Katie Goh: “I want people to engage with the politics of oranges”

Foreign Fruit — In her new book, the Edinburgh-based writer traces her personal history through the citrus fruit’s global spread, from a village in China to Californian groves. Angela Hui caught up with her to find out more.

Written by: Angela Hui

A punk rock band performing on stage, with a female lead singer belting into a microphone. Behind them, a colourful mural with graffiti-style text.
Music

Meet the hair-raised radicals of Berlin’s noise punk scene

Powertool — In his new zine, George Nebieridze captures moments of loud rage and quiet intimacy of the German capital’s bands, while exploring the intersections between music, community and anti-establishment politics.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Surfers against sewage protest box floating in water with people swimming around it.
© Alex Brown / Surfers Against Sewage
Sport

The rebellious roots of Cornwall’s surfing scene

100 years of waveriding — Despite past attempts to ban the sport from beaches, surfers have remained as integral, conservationist presences in England’s southwestern tip. A new exhibition in Falmouth traces its long history in the area.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Energetic music performance on stage with colourful lighting, smoke and audience.
Culture

Southbank Centre reveals new series dedicated to East and Southeast Asian arts

ESEA Encounters — Taking place between 17-20 July, there will be a live concert from YMO’s Haruomi Hosono, as well as discussions around Asian literature, stage productions, and a pop-up Japanese Yokimono summer market.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Huck 79

We are all Mia Khalifa

How humour, therapy and community help Huck's latest cover star control her narrative.

Written by: Alya Mooro

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.