The book Davide Sorrenti: Polaroids 1994-1997 (2020) serves as an intimate lens into the brief yet impactful life of Davide Sorrenti, a photographer whose work defined a generation's raw, unapologetic spirit. Published posthumously, this collection curates a series of Polaroid snapshots that were deeply personal, capturing the fragile beauty and chaotic energy of the mid-90s youth culture. Through these instant prints, Sorrenti's lens exposes not just a visual diary but an emotional artifact—a blend of grit and tenderness reflective of his environment and the subculture he documented.
Born into a family of renowned photographers—his mother Francesca Sorrenti and brother Mario Sorrenti—Davide forged his own path, gaining recognition in the 1990s New York fashion scene. His images rejected polished perfection in favor of raw intimacy, often featuring friends and collaborators such as models Jaime King, Kristen McMenamy, and stylist and creative director Nicola Formichetti. These personal portraits carry an authenticity that made his work resonate beyond commercial fashion, capturing moments of real connection and vulnerability.
Sorrenti became closely associated with the controversial "heroin chic" aesthetic, a movement marked by its melancholic, grunge-inspired look. His photography, with its emphasis on fragility and authenticity, reflected the era’s darker undercurrents, where art and life blurred with the omnipresence of drugs. However, the narrative surrounding his death has often been clouded by associations with drug use. While heroin was something Sorrenti reportedly used to manage the pain of his blood condition, thalassemia, it was ultimately this disorder that led to his untimely death at 20. Despite the external narrative, his mother, Francesca, has emphasized that the blood disorder, rather than drug use, was the true cause of his passing.
The Polaroids reveal Sorrenti’s close-knit circle of friends, lovers, and muses, as well as his playful experimentation with light, texture, and framing. Unlike his more composed editorial work, these images exude spontaneity, showcasing his ability to find art in the ephemeral. A cigarette dangling, a half-lit face, or a crumpled bedsheet becomes a poignant symbol in his hands, imbuing the mundane with layers of narrative. His subjects embody a time when youth rebellion collided with fragile vulnerability, a theme made even more haunting by his premature passing.
