The appassionato Project is a fine art project that explores the concept and definition of passion through the eyes of talented Florida models, makeup/hair artists, and photographer Jose Gomez. For many, passion is defined as a sort of sexual energy. For others, passion is drive and ambition towards life's most important goals. Still others see passion as sinful desire that wreaks havoc when left unchecked.
But, in reality, when one explores the etymology of the word passion, we find much darker and fascinating ideas. The word comes from the late medieval Latin word passio, which comes from the Latin pati, which means suffering. The origins of the word passion come from extreme hurt, pain, and the endurance of physical suffering, traditionally connected to religious iconography, specifically the torture and crucifixion of Christ. It was extended to describe the sufferings of martyrs as late as the 13th century.
However, by the late 14th century, the word had evolved to also mean "strong emotion, desire" and to render the Greek Pathos into Latin. It had also replaced the Old English polung ("suffering"). By the 1580s, the contemporary connections to "sexual love" began to emerge. In the 1630s, the word took on the form of "strong liking, enthusiasm, predilection".
Today, Merriam-Webster defines passion as follows:
1. often capitalized
a : the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death
b : an oratorio based on a gospel narrative of the Passion
2 obsolete : suffering
3 : the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces
4 a (1) : emotion <his ruling passion is greed> (2) plural : the emotions as distinguished from reason
b : intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction
c : an outbreak of anger
5 a : ardent affection : love
b : a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept
c : sexual desire
d : an object of desire or deep interest
I am captivated by the intersection of all of the various definitions throughout the ages. I have witnessed moments in life where one feels the convergence of all the renderings of passion at once - a deep, stinging desire and longing that combines with intolerable suffering and intense, driving conviction.... This is the fullest embodiment of passion in all of its forms. This is the focus of the appassionato Project - to capture that moment and feeling. It's found in an artist's sudden brush stroke, in a dancer's bruising feet, and in the singer's contorted face. It's in the last burning thrust of an intense workout, and likewise in the final moments of the most intense emotional and physical release. It's the longing, the agony, the triumphant capture, and sudden escape that drives life's most passionate moments.
This is the challenge of those who have come together to create the appassionato Project and the uniting bond of those whose images will be captured over late evening sessions in an environment of freedom, safety, and common sentiment.