Traces, memory and time
Art for me is not just a profession or occupation, it is my essence. I am very aware of the implication of the visual in our lives and how “we are what we see”.
I met José María Díaz-Maroto during a Masterclass that I took with the photographer José María Mellado while touring the North of Spain a few years ago. I had the opportunity for Díaz-Maroto to review some of my work and it was at this meeting that he encouraged me to publish my work. Diaz-Maroto is a photographer, editor and curator of great prestige in the photographic and artistic world of Spain and without his support I would not be telling you about my life today and showing my story through photos and texts in my book “Huellas, memoria y weather”. The book was edited and printed in Madrid. I was very fortunate that Brizzolis Printing House accepted the job. It is one of the best printers in the world for books and art catalogs and it was thanks to Calma y Sosiego publishing house that I had access to this wonderful printing company of the largest world size,
The layout and style of the book was in charge of José Maria Diaz-Maroto. The emails came and went and we had permanent communication by phone and whatsapp to review the progress. There was a lot of chemistry and the process of creating the book was a very enriching experience for me. I burned my eyelashes and I think myopia increased from being on my computer screen working the photos, one by one, writing, correcting… I learned a lot.
For the black and white section in the central part of the book I had to scan my old negatives (of the images that together with Maroto I chose for the publication) and I managed to do this thanks to the instruction of Mayra Alpiste in Lima. My Photography teacher at Corriente Alterna (another of the many Institutes I went through and studied over the years…) had already recommended me to contact Mayra for digital editing issues, and I must say that there is nobody Same on that topic. Her dedication and perfectionism are contagious and what I have learned with her today seems essential to me. The quality of the photos that shine in the photobook would not have been the same without the support I had from Maroto in Madrid and Mayra in Lima. And now, in addition, we have a beautiful friendship.
As for the essence of the book…
There is no set order in the layout. One can read the book forward and backward. It is not linear or circular; it flows based on a fully visual sequence of logic. The content is inherent to my person… they are memories of blogs, of my family life, of trips, of landscapes, of people from here and there, of my neighborhood, of my city… it is quite free. The set turns out to be like a cornucopia of intertwined images based on its composition, shapes, color and visual rhythm.
The accompanying texts suggest themes and a common thread. But despite the fact that the content or meaning of what I present is inherent to my person, to my life as a woman, as a mother… to my family, to my environment and my travels… as you turn the pages you will feel that the photos are more beyond my personal experience.
I want to affirm with this publication my “foolish” search for beauty and visual harmony and highlight the pleasurable stimulus that aesthetics represents; and that holding on to it is like holding on to a railing in front of an abyss of spiritual emptiness that abounds in our current environment with the celebration of the ugly, the cruel and the scandalous…
The prologue is written by my friend Mauricio Novoa and the introduction is narrated by José María Díaz-Maroto. At the center of the book is an autobiographical note and throughout the book I have collected lyrics from songs that touch my heart. I learned as a girl to play and read classical music. But then I got to know rock and pop music with my husband. Among one of his many hobbies and talents, he always had a passion for contemporary music. We listened to his vinyl collection and his radio. It’s been more than 30 years since the music he makes me listen to adds salt and pepper to my life. It is something we share with our 4 children as well. Music puts you on the wave, music accompanies, music comforts, music as well as visual art is a refuge of peace and calm for the soul. By including these songs in the pages of my book and suggesting the pairing of music with my photos, I seek to pay homage to my husband, José Antonio, who is my lifelong companion and the love of my life. The playlist to listen to the songs is on Spotify. It can be searched by book name as well.
I want the book to be pleasurable, comfortable to hold, and enjoyable to review over and over again. Let it be like enjoying a visual “banquet” paired with music and poetry excerpts.
