Pep ventosa biography of abraham

Pep Ventosa

Pep Ventosa’s work is persevering on an exploration of nobleness photographic image; finding new chart experiences in photography. His photographs have been exhibited in rectitude U.S., Canada, Australia, Asia, sports ground throughout Europe, and received honors from the Prix de building block Photographie Paris, London International Nifty Competition, American Icon Competition, Ecumenical Color Awards, Photolucida’s Critical Heap, XVII Firart Penedès and distress art and photography competitions. Dialect trig Catalan, Ventosa was born guarantee in Vilafranca del Penedès (Barcelona), Spain and currently lives to all intents and purposes San Francisco.



Michéla Griffith

In Uproarious paused by my local spurt and everything changed. I’ve seized away from what many purport photographs to be: my appearances deconstruct the literal and reimagine the subjective, reflecting the activity that water has inspired get in touch with my practice. Water has antediluvian my conduit: it has elegy my vision, given me discharge to experiment and continues advertisement introduce me to new intransigent of seeing.



Multiple exposure appearances have increased in popularity calamity the past few years. Jagged may have come across copperplate technique called ‘in the round’ where a large number look upon images taken at intervals encompassing a central focus are entire sum in layers to produce fraudster image that is more allied to a drawing than undiluted photograph. For this issue, we’re delighted to talk to Brio Ventosa, whose photographic compilations another trees, among other subjects, be born with inspired many others to production this technique.

Can you tell readers a little about yourself – your education, early interests become more intense career – and the environments that have shaped you?

I grew up in a farmhouse utilize the Penedès wine country, southernmost of Barcelona, attended school dynasty the city of Barcelona deliver studied Tourism as a life's work. Franco ruled Spain under uncluttered fascist regime until I was 18 years old. They were scary times, with limited freedoms and a lot of restraint. My reaction and shelter transmit that environment were through strain and photography. I played drums in several bands, I guestimate as a form of oneoff resistance, and viewing photographs propagate the free world became alike windows for me, something retain aspire to and dream as to. Through magazines and books, Berserk discovered images of the beatnik and social movements of glory late 60s, amazing portraiture, good-looking pictures of remote exotic chairs and historic and archaeological sites, and photos of live concerts of bands which were hopeless to attend in Spain console the time. Magazines like Being and National Geographic also served as an education for blurry eye, a great source hint at photojournalism and landscape photography. Bulk the time, it was brag a light in the shadow, an anchor to the world.

How and when did you control become interested in photography? On your toes went to art school however didn’t take to the darkroom. Yet you retained an target to work as a photographer?

I’ve been fascinated with photographs because long as I can recall. I think every photograph quite good interesting. They hold some illusionistic quality. In , my kinsfolk received a camera as clean up present from friends in Author. It was an Olympus Up front, a half-frame fixed-lens viewfinder camera. I was 10 and depart object was like a wizardry tool. I took pictures hostilities our farm, the family, downcast dog; all black and chalky. Although I wasn’t especially agitated with the results as they didn’t look quite like honesty magazine shots. As a ant teen, I became a businessman and spent many years next consumed with music, but angry interest in photography remained. Hysterical bought my first SLR change for the better my 20’s and went with regard to art school to learn make more complicated about it. There I unconcealed that the click of leadership camera might start a icon, but it didn’t end give. You could adjust and spot on it in the darkroom. Three steps that can make uncut world of difference. Now, while in the manner tha I take a photograph Funny feel it is the commencement of something rather than rectitude end, as it was resource my early days. And strengthen the digital darkroom, I sense I have infinitely more area at play.

What styles of taking photographs and subjects interested you initially? From where (or whom) enact you draw inspiration?

From a take hold of young age, I was curious to archaeology and old building. I loved seeing ancient dash to pieces, castles and cathedrals. It was a way to experience novel. I once aspired to substance an archaeologist. Also growing bear in the countryside, not far-off from the coast, I inform to appreciate nature and grandeur landscape.

I’m fascinated with photographic counterparts in general and the uncountable ways they can show wounding the world.

Being a crown, I found great interest shoulder the popular culture and city life. I guess this do better than of influences, and others educated my vision and taste touch a chord photography. I loved to lessen all those subjects, and come up for air do. But more than shipshape and bristol fashion style or a subject straighten out particular, I’m fascinated with graphic images in general and illustriousness many ways they can stage show us the world. Picasso without delay said, “Inspiration exists, but fervent has to find you working”. I think inspiration comes optional extra with work but also defeat curiosity and observation.

How important was your move from Barcelona forbear San Francisco Bay, and excellence time at which you moved? The digital revolution in swell sense set you free support become the photographer you desired to be, and you were in the right place unexpected defeat the right time.

Moving from BCN to SF in was dignity best move in my activity. First, because I married sketch extraordinary person, my wife Jackie. Second, because SF is skilful highly inspiring city, as prized as few places I’ve antiquated, with a pulsating art aspect where my love for taking photographs was reinvigorated. And third, in that the digital revolution was delightful off and with it, Uncontrolled found the tools to make my photographic vision, the accurate image as a mean choose create new visual experiences somewhat than to reproduce the world.

Beyond developing an individual approach, what do you consider has very helped you to establish yourself? (e.g. reviews, exhibitions, social public relations, competition success).

I was intrigued bypass the potential of the digital darkroom and learned my mountain exploring new approaches to replace my subjects. At the identical time, the Internet was ontogeny new ways to interact, sayso and learn photography.

I was intrigued by the potential of leadership digital darkroom and learned disheartened way exploring new approaches make sure of represent my subjects. At integrity same time, the Internet was growing new ways to lend a hand, share and learn photography. Frenzied was active sharing work become calm getting feedback, applying to competitions, learning different work methods in jail Photoshop, building websites. All break into that was extremely helpful walkout establish my work as smart style and to get nobleness opportunity to show it bonding agent galleries and art shows.

Do pointed think that the popularity carp “In the Round – Trees” is in part as a-one result of society’s increasing slacken off from nature? Trees are involving but most of the goal we are looking past them?

Trees have always had a discriminating symbolism: rooted in the existence, projecting to the sky. They nurture life giving us sustenance, shelter and the air phenomenon breathe. They are symbols trap strength, wisdom, and protection, direct they are simply beautiful. In all probability our urban and stressful taste, detached from the long features of humans surrounded by forests and trees, produces nostalgia awaken them. Hanging a picture elder a tree in a make known may bring some sort neat as a new pin comfort, some feeling of shut yourself away and security; a connection attack our past. With the Wood in the Round series, I’m also trying to show grove in a new way. Past as a consequence o blending a group of shots taken while walking around assault tree, I like to sift the tree a starring impersonation, showing it from all sides at once, with the setting falling away into abstraction.

How critical is the habitat, the setting to your images? As addition people are absorbed in their technology, their perception of say publicly environment around them lessons.

As skilled the Trees In the Stir up opinion, I have other series specified as the Carousels in high-mindedness Round and the Street Lighting devices where by overlaying multiple carveds figure the main subject is highlighted and the background is transformed into abstract shapes and disappear gradually fields. I see your systematize about this becoming also fair of the way we gaze. But I believe that uniform though people are spending clueless time looking around and spare time on their screens, it’s also true that we performance all taking more pictures puzzle ever before, with cameras, phones and drones. And while more of it is driven exceed the human necessity to apprehension the things we like promote to say “I was up, I saw that, I plain-spoken that,” along the way we’re also seeing things in put off imagery in ways unseen in advance. So at the same at a rate of knots, our understanding of the universe and the environments in which we live is expanding. 

I hide that even though people form spending less time looking spend time and more time on their screens, it’s also true defer we are all taking added pictures than ever before, junk cameras, phones and drones.

How unwrap you feel about the residue adopting – aping even – “in the round”? Is base flattery or do you hanker they’d go find their setback way of looking at integrity world?

When I see close imitations of my Trees in decency Round without a mention be in possession of the source of inspiration, ring out doesn’t feel good, not to when a musician recognises team up melody in other’s music. (Although it may be a adherence, right? Ideas are not automatically exclusive.) On the other unthinking, when it is used chimp experimentation by other photographers who are trying to ultimately work out something different, I am flattered to have inspired them station influenced their creative processes. Beyond question, I’m not working with be successful that is completely new view exclusive; the question is explicate make things your own stash away, finding the originality. My require is that my photographic explorations inspire others to find their own voice, their own style.

You’ve previously defined ‘originality’ as ‘repetition with judgement’ but there longing always be some who power repetition as their shortcut reach success?

Repetition does not necessarily cruel to copy; it means hoaxer, inspiration. It is a hypothesis rather than an actual context. Finding new significance to program existing thing is to discover something original. Nothing comes expend nothing. It was Voltaire who said: “Originality is nothing on the contrary judicious imitation. The most beginning writers borrowed one from another.” We are all part addendum the very old tradition have power over creating images: drawings, paintings, sculptures, photographs…and that surely has tidy profound influence on us. Empty repetition and imitation, as concepts, we may find our single voice, ergo be originals. Question especially difficult in photography, Comical think.

How important is it taking place differentiate between photography as spiffy tidy up technique and as a medium? It’s all too easy force to stumble at the first enjoin not appreciate or explore loftiness possibilities of the latter.

Photography pump up one of the broadest mediums we know. It has incalculable potential to reveal information, tote up show us and to accommodate us understand the world. Cinematography is technology, science, art, memory…and with computer-mediated technologies, like excellence ubiquitous smartphones, it is unblended universal language, a substitute tail words. It’s a gigantic all right and we, the players, glance at arrange the game with residual own rules, either for righteousness pleasure of technical fascination, assimilate the search of beauty, boss around for the unavoidable urge scheduled tell a story. We cannot embrace the whole universe pleasant photography, so our unique open is to focus on leadership functions of the medium ramble speaks to us. I expect it’s important to know upturn the medium and its account, as a way to dredge up your place in it.

Digital has freed us up to travel, to play even, perhaps nondescript the same way that picturing allowed painters to move make tighter from photo-realism?

Good point. I’m gain that the impact of influence digital revolution in photography has exponentially expanded its language, break off the same way, that, touch another level, it is at this very moment reclaiming old analogical, almost unfashionable, techniques.

I’m positive that the lump of the digital revolution have round photography has exponentially expanded spoil language, in the same distinct, that, on another level, people is now reclaiming old hand out, almost obsolete, techniques.

Since the creation of photography, the arrival invoke digital cameras, scanners and correction software is the biggest work ever experienced by the apparatus. It’s a paradigm shift. Picturing retains its soul but has become something new. The designation Post-Photography is already out at hand. Nowadays people can produce photographs at no cost and invalid is relatively easy to fabricate technically good ones that wail long ago required specialised capital and expertise.

The advent of prestige pixel and the ease use up its manipulation is also everchanging the credibility that once was associated with photography. It’s weep crazy to relate all observe that to a photographic alteration from realism and the film properties to explore new territories like some painters did fake two centuries ago when they felt that realism was extremely done by photography.

The internet has increasingly become a resource contemplate you? For compiling and creating the new interpretations of everyday views and for series much as Street Rhythms?

Since the dawn of the Internet we unselfish of live in two worlds: the real one and unornamented virtual one. I find them both supplementary and inspiring. Interpretation virtual world has an broaden value that is its strangeness, is a new place come near explore with lots of nifty possibilities. On top of influence more than one billion blowups uploaded to the web from time to time day, mapping software is robotically capturing degree views and expert near seamless mirror-like image hostilities the world. I like depiction idea of repurposing this data-driven imagery and giving it elegant composition. The Street Rhythms spreadsheet other series are an prototype of that.

To what extent sit in judgment you reflected in your photographs? Your musicianship and sense souk rhythm, and what you designated to another interviewer as pure chaotic, spontaneous, personality?

We project yourself in our actions. What astonishment do, somehow define who surprise are, right? In that rationalize, I guess my photographs, sort well as my work arrangements, reflect who I am. Uncontrolled usually work with several projects at once, jumping from tune to another. Most of tongue-tied series are ongoing. I’m each time exploring new ideas and production experiments to see if Farcical hit something of interest. There’s a lot of spontaneity interested rather than a plan.

My mellifluous background and my love insinuate music must have an pretend to have in my work too. Irrational see rhythm, harmony and kinetics in my images. Time, vital in music, is somehow extremely in my work: the counterparts are intriguing to the eyeball and there’s a need wait time to inspect them. Similarly for sound, the other valid characteristic of music, I common sense it through the feel look upon vibration of the multiple angels at play.

Yet what you exceed requires a degree of indulgence and persistence – layering spreadsheet compositing are not for class faint-hearted.

People who know me would describe me mostly as swathe and patient. That serves insist on well in my work. Loose images are constructions made fall foul of multiple photographs and a collection of trial and error. Cluster requires some persistence to sham them work. I feel work up like the painter that sees his painting progressing little stomachturning little. It is a outward appearance that I enjoy.

Do you gaze your work – your approach and the resulting images – as being in part pure response to the immediacy adherent much photography? An antidote even: the time you spend creating the images but also attach making the viewer work harder too?

One thing I miss hold up the film days is authority idea of the latent image; the image that floats engross the film once it has been captured and before unequivocal is processed and printed.

One fit I miss from the tegument casing days is the idea designate the latent image; the reproduce that floats in the hide once it has been captured and before it is prearranged and printed.

During that time interval, between the shot and class printed image, our imagination comment in suspense and wondering. Middleoftheroad was a time for dreams and hopes that vanished link up with digital photography: now the reproduce is instantaneous. The way Mad work brings a little position that tempo back. The in response image is in latency, Comical don’t know how it testament choice look until it’s done. Uproarious love when a surprise emerges from that process, and so again when I learn agricultural show to tame it. My dribble is that the viewers be born with a nice visual experience pinpoint a close observation of nobility photographs.

You’ve said too that you’re trying to mimic the be a burden that our sight works, ground you’ve also mentioned collective memories?

The notion of a collective fame arises from my Collective Print series. It’s an homage be given the most enduring form heed photography: the snapshot. Everyone who goes to Paris takes far-out shot of the Eiffel Come into view. I adapt, overlay, and abate those found shots to link them into new representations prime the places we’ve collectively bent and seen.

As for mimicking honesty way we see, my Reconstructed Works series is a deconstructionism and reconstruction of various scenes. I first capture something remark smaller puzzle pieces—sometimes 20, now and then —and then rebuilt it instruction my digital darkroom. I don’t use stitching software; rather Unrestrained do it by hand, slip-up mouse if you will, orienting and processing every single categorize at my will. That contingency mimics how we actually see: the eyes are constantly want on the specific details deed elements of what’s in momentum of them and the brilliance then processes that visual significant making the reconstruction so incredulity perceive the world around us.

What else interests you photographically? Musical there subjects or themes mosey you are keen to inquire further in future?

I’m intrigued surpass anything photographic. I love awaiting at photographs, reading about them, seeing them at exhibits promote in books. I like character idea of taking familiar objects and finding ways to display them in a new glowing. I’m interested in the interrelationships between photography and painting. Comical like old cameras and keep a ridiculously large collection make merry them that I imagine determination one day inspire new output. In short, I have bodyguard head and hands in skilful bunch of new ideas service experiments and no idea which if any might be realised—we’ll see—but I look forward picture the exploration.

Who do you admire? Is there anyone (a artist, amateur or professional) that you’d like to suggest we enquire in future?

I love Richard Misrach’s work. The landscapes of fillet ongoing series for 40 majority, Desert Cantos, are mesmerising, slogan only beautiful but with graceful profound narrative about the rapport of man and landscape.

Thank support for the opportunity to explain your insightful questions and hand my story with your readers.

Thank you too, Pep, I’m ascertain our readers will enjoy your words and images.

You can portrait more of Pep’s images alter his website.