During his childhood Dominic Lippillo’s family rented a considerable number of houses. Every time they moved to a new house he would wonder about the uncountable past experiences that may be embedded within the walls, how the former inhabitants used the space, and how their time in this space affected their lives. As a result, he became fascinated by the residual essence of the former inhabitants that still lingered and the remnants they unintentionally left behind that seemed to be discarded, forgotten, or unwanted.
Throughout his projects Lippillo often photographs in or around his personal surroundings in an attempt to understand the spaces and the people who once lived there. In doing so, he creates photographs of experiences that exist in his mind but not in reality. He aims to create and capture fictitious moments, while subsequently calling into question the legitimacy of photographic representation by employing a practice, which utilizes staged photography, found vernacular photographs, and digital composite imagery in which he embellishes the depicted information through a process of addition and deletion.
His photographs are included in the permanent collections of The Museum of Photographic Art; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; and the University of North Dakota. Publications include Some Recent Findings, Don't Take Pictures, Mono Chroma, Exposure, Daily Serving, The Eye of Photography, and the INPHA Annuals II and IV. Grants and Awards include: South Arts Fellowship (2018), Finalist Critical Mass Top 200 (2017 and 2016), Mississippi Arts Commission Visual Artist Fellowship (2016), Mississippi Arts Commission Artist Mini-grants (2010, 2013, 2014, and 2018), and the Mississippi State University Faculty Research Award (2019 and 2013). Lippillo earned his MFA in Photography from Ohio University (2009) and a BFA in Photography from Youngstown State University (2005), and is a Professor of Photography at Mississippi State University.
Email: domlippillo@yahoo.com