Artist Statement
My artwork takes a critical view of social, political and cultural issues, often referencing what surrounds me or draws my attention.
I make images that present views of contemporary life exclusive to the present moment; the result of modern, social and global concerns. My interest here focuses on the average human being’s experience and interaction with power in everyday life. I strive to create a visual manifestation of an internal resistance against these restraints, and the resulting work forms a muted acknowledgement of its existence.
The image is the centre of my work. It is not, however, an icon. It is rather a depiction that is constantly filtered through my own experience and personal view of the world, and repeatedly called into question as a material and emotional entity, as both presence and memory.
Process Statement
The medium I use is photography and I develop my projects using digital techniques.
My projects reflect a concern with the progressive construction of social reality by the media, discernible not only in the increasing importance of the image, but also in the gradual incorporation of the “simulated world” into different realms of daily life, such as politics and culture. The critical realism of my work is generated from these reflections and I achieve it by transforming them into metaphors.
Each project primarily consists of a range of different images that are grouped around specific themes and meanings. During research and production, new areas of interest arise and lead me to my next body of work.
Francisco Reina (Sevilla 1979, Spain) is a spanish photographer settled in The Hague.
He is represented as an artist by AJG Gallery in Sevilla and Cokkie Snoei in Rotterdam. He has been selected for the Lex van Rosen Award (Noorderlicht Gallery in Groningen 2011) an for the book NEW Dutch Photography Talent 2012 between others. He has also worked in Madrid with Fernando Maquieira for "El Prado Museum", "Fundación Mapfre" and in The Netherlands for Provincie Gelderland for the Book "Nieuwe Landgoederen-In woord en beeld" and his work has been featured in magazines such as GUP, CaCao Mag and SQUIRE (Russia).
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