Horacio Fernández

The form of the photo book allows for narrative meaning to arise from the images, and as such, has been used by many of the most preeminent photographers to present and communicate their works. In Spain particularly, the photo book is colored by a complex national history: the Civil War, the transition to democracy, the social and cultural role of the peasantry and the evolving role of women have all been significantly documented via the photo book. The relationship of Spanish culture and photography to the photo book is comprehensively explored in this volume, published to accompany an exhibition at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. This volume collects the work of not only well-known photographers such as José Ortiz Echagüe, Alfonso, Francesc Català-Roca, Ramón Masats, Xavier Miserachs, Francisco Ontañón and Colita, but also relatively unknown figures, such as Antonio Cánovas, the collective work of Misiones Pedagógicas (Teaching Missions), José Compte, Enrique Palazuelo, Luis Acosta Moro and Salvador Costa. Text by Horacio Fernández explains the cultural significance of these artists' works and further delves into the complex relationship between the Spanish photo book and literature.… (más)

This handsome catalog documents an exhibit at Spain!s Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia devoted to photography and the phenomenon of modernity. As the introductory essay by exhibit curator Fernandez explains, from its invention photography has been a public medium, yet technological advances during the interwar years allowed large-scale reproduction and publication. Arranged alphabetically from Berenice Abbott to Piet Zwart, including Russian constructivists as well as photographers of the American WPA and FSA, each entry discusses the role of a specific photographer, designer, publication, or one of the many influential countries. With appropriately aesthetic graphic design, the volume includes beautifully reproduced color and black-and-white images of newspapers, magazines, books, posters, and other printed material. It offers parallel texts in Spanish and English and is recommended for all appropriate collections with an interest in art photography.… (más)