SPECIES
INTRODUCTION
The ALBUFERA Natural Park in Valencia,Spain, spans 21,000 hectares of freshwater and rice fields, offering a dynamicinterplay of light and vast plains.
PROJECT
SPECIES is a sociologicalblend of reality and fantasy, capturing a unique perspective. These imagesserve as pages in the "Catalogue of Species from the Albufera NaturalPark," depicting not animal or plant species, but human ones.
I portray distinct representative groupsof this region, united by their relationship with the water-formedmicroclimate. Some protect it, traverse it, nourish from it, exploit it, orsimply gift it their ethereal beauty.
I position them as waterborne deities,elevating anonymous rural inhabitants to divine status. The landscape acts astheir enchanting backdrop, a mutual belonging.
Inspired by the meticulous graphic design of catalogs portraying animal and plant species, these photos are akin to that style. Each human subject is depicted with similar attention to detail within their surroundings.
This project revives a familiar typology ofphotography or drawing deeply embedded in our collective memory. The iconic stylethat meticulously documented various species finds new expression in my work.
This series resulted from an unplanned journey. Convincing diverse groups and individuals to partake in this surreal portrait venture, I ingeniously use plastic boxes to make them stand on water, turning the process into performance art.
Final portraits are as crucial as theprocess itself. Displayed with "THE MAKING OF" images during exhibitions, they emphasize photography as an event.
The outcome showcases a style between social documentation (depicting rural Spain) and a social experiment.
Seventeen species grace the catalogue: ricefield laborers, unemployed fishermen, a beauty queen, duck hunters, housewives,fisherwomen, firefighters, guards, waitstaff, bikers, a local heavy metalgroup, boatmen, landowners, a village boy, artists, and police.
In photography, I champion"Antropología Fantástica," blending documentary and theatrical styleswith fantasy and drama. It's a photo-event where subjects interpret themselves.