The fact that I was born in "the last century" really impresses me... But it is so. I was born half a century ago and spent the last 30+ years in a balancing act between architecture and photography.
It is not easy to keep this two fields of interest together, but inside myself they mix and coexist in peace. I hope this coexistence reflects here. As time goes by, the architect in me penetrates my images, and it is very difficult keeping the two spaces separate. It is only one mind.
This possibility of creating images, flat or threedimensional, obviously allows me to speak through them about myself. I do what I can. A certain type of images comes naturally and effortless, but I can't produce some other stuff even when I try hard to. I simply can't see it. Frequently I am amazed checking the output of others whom, with the same media, display inner worlds so diverse: brilliant, miserable, dreamy, dark, sensual….
And it is difficult for me to specify how I got to see in this specific way. It is probably related to my formal education:
My first two years in university, while studying Architecture in UBA, where mixed with sleepy afternoons in the Fine Arts School. But it came that I was not so good for oil painting, and clay turned to be too sticky and cold in winter.
Very fittinglly I got a Canon FT Reflex as a gift from my father at 20 and very quickly pastels and fine coal were replaced by cheap BW film, and during the next 3 or 4 years I spent long hours in the small darkroom I put together in my parents’s attic.
After much trial and miss and pestering everyone around, very slowly I learned about developers, grade papers and such. And some very few pictures turned out to be presentable.
But I never did it really seriously, and very soon my architect diploma came by, and with it many years teaching Design in the university, a partner, responsibilities, clients, a family and children.
And for many years my faithful Canon FT rested asleep, awaiting, and seeing the light occasionally to document every step in the growing process of my children. (And, yes.. I have an endless provision of children pics).
But this cycle, as always happens, began to fold. In 2007, thirty years after I got my professional degree, I finished my last building. Now I am partner in a self-storage business in that building (www.depomax.com.ar) and that leaves me half my time free…
Seven years before, almost by chance, as the first time, I reentered photography. Some things had changed: mainly the scope of my interests. Now I got attracted by portraiture and complex, rich spaces.
Every year after that and for the last 10 years I traveled for some time, carrying a bicycle and a backpack full of cameras, lenses, flashes and a round screen. In 2007 I built a motor home in Germany inside a Renault Master Van and now I am using it to do photo work in Europe with the backing of many European Embassies. And every year I come home with close to 10.000 images to deal with, the difficult part.
But instead of tumbling in the darkroom as 30 years ago, now I can process the photos on my loved Mac, close to my family and peeking through the window. Thanks God for digital photo.
I do not join photo contests anymore, but when I did, in Argentina and abroad, I won the National AFA Photo Ranking, a Gold medal fron the FIAP and I ve done various exhibitions in Buenos Aires and abroad. Yet my biggest satisfaction lies in having been invited by Agfa International as Professional of the month for their world page (www.agfanet.com).
..
Well, here I am. This is what has been, and to whoever might be interested, what follows are some ideas and things I’ve been learning.
