Madrid’s PHotoEspaña festival has kicked off with the opening of Arissa: La Sombra y el Fotógrafo. 1922-1936 at the Espacio Fundación Telefónica, just off Gran Vía.
In the first ever retrospective exhibition of Antoni Arissa‘s work, you’ll find over 160 black and white prints taken in Spain during the 1920s and 1930s. The Catalan photographer was a leader in the Spanish avant-garde movement (El País called him the ‘missing link’ to Spanish photography) and began his career working as a technician in the family printing business.
Beginning with the picturalist movement, and on through Central European and avant-garde influences, the exhibition serves as a rich selection demonstrating the development of his work through the movements, and consequently just how remarkably influenced he was by the creative scene of his time.
Photos such as El Beso rely on cheesy attempts at provoking the viewer, while the numerous, narcissistic images of Arissa’s name in printing blocks become repetitive, varying little. These do, however, sit well with the running theme of light and shadow – one which is an enjoyable choice, that salvages and unites the exhibition well. As part of the theme, along with its monochrome setting, the entry sign was light to create the same effect as seen in his more abstract compositions of everyday objects, some of which today tingle a slight nostalgia for an early 20th century Spain.
An enjoyable addition to the larger prints are the documents displaying his magazine work and scrapbooks of miniature prints. Highlights for me were his high-angled, street photography pieces. Although far from the likes of Andre Kertesz Hungarian and Henri Cartier-Bresson’s achievements, these tell an intriguing narrative of 1920/1930s Spain.
Individually, the works lacked depth but, overall, the exhibition is an insight into one of the country’s great photographers of his time. It is also a strong example of successful curation in bringing together the theme of light and shadow – well-demonstrated here as the Arissa’s best feat – and carefully builds a narrative of the changes in his photography as his style develops through the movements.
The Espacio Fundación Telefónica is also a building worth seeing, with fantastic architecture, a lift the size of a small room, and is also exhibiting Instagram images it has compiled, on the floor below.
Arissa: La Sombra y el Fotógrafo. 1922-1936 is on until the 14 September 2014. Nearest metro: Gran Vía. Free entry. Open: Tues – Sun: 10.00 – 20.00.
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