The show covers the first period of Masats' career, from his beginnings in 1953 until 1965, when he left photography for more than a decade to focus on film and television. We have chosen to highlight some of the images from his early work, always with original prints, from a period when he was experimenting and still uncertain whether to pursue photography of a more abstract nature or photojournalism, the path he would soon follow. This section includes, for the first time, the 15 exquisite vintage prints that the artist grouped from his first photographic challenge: the series on ‘Las Ramblas’.
Also featured are photographs from his seminal books: Neutral Corner, his masterpiece with texts by Ignacio Aldecoa (accompanied by a projection of the exquisite first edition), and Sanfermines, Masats’ first photobook (curated and designed by the artist himself), from which we present the original prints carefully preserved until today.
The exhibition is completed by works to which he dedicated himself intensely, such as ‘Arcos de la Frontera’ and portraits of notable personalities created for the magazine Gaceta Ilustrada and other publications, as well as an extensive selection of iconic images combined with a few unpublished photographs.
We would like to recall that Masats was a chronicler of a Spain that lived under dictatorship, with images that avoid stereotypes and clichés and, in addition to being an exceptional document, show us how his powerful gaze always found empathy for ordinary people.
Pepe Font de Mora, exhibition curator.
We extend our thanks to Sonia Masats, Archivo Masats, Jaume Fuster, and Galería ALTA for their invaluable support in this exhibition.
