"[retractus] parallel portraits" by Francesc Català-Roca and Pedro Madueño at the GaLeRia

The GaLeRia presents, until July 28, the exhibition, [r etractus ] parallel portraits, an exhibition with twenty long photographs, taken in the second half of the 20th century by the renowned photographers Francesc Català-Roca (Valls, 1922 - Barcelona, 1998) and Pedro Madueño (La Carlota, province of Córdoba, 1961).

The proposal arose as a result of the exhibition-tribute to Català-Roca that this gallery presented last season, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth. When we learned about Madueño's relationship and admiration for the work of F. CR, we discovered with satisfaction that both photographers had portrayed, without any premeditation, many of the same characters from the world of culture at different times in their lives. This caused an immediate reaction: a lot of desire to exhibit them together. An intense period of research followed in order to find the most significant parallel portraits of the two photographers, looking for the most suitable combinations, and letting them dialogue with each other to show us their affinities and contrasts, as well as reflections that can be derived from it.

Each in their own way, these masters of photography have tried to expand the limits by working on a photograph that seeks its own idiosyncrasy; a photograph that shows us the world we share and allows us to value it. The obvious generational difference between the two photographers means that, by logic, F. CR confronts the person portrayed before Madueño, which leads to an enriching sum of looks for the benefit of the character portrayed. Although they often start from a commission, their portraits transcend the current fact and create images that endure over time due to their symbolism and meaning.