Barcelona Llibres

This digital publication brings together, with some variations, the texts and many of the photographs from the exhibition “Família, amics i fotografia. Entorn de l’espai fotogràfic de la llar”.

 The first part sketches photographic territory from the home, the place where families inhabit and conserve their photographs, whether studio portraits or photos taken by family members or whether they got there thanks to friends or relatives. The second part shows how professional photographers Jacques Léonard, Lluís Casals, Christian Maury, Marta Povo, Lluís Bover, Tatiana Donoso, Jordi Guillumet, Mònica Roselló and Salvador López have approached this form of photography, whether through simple family practice or in the context of a creative project.

Family photography originates in the family, either because it has been produced there or it is conserved there. Generally, it is a type of photography that helps strengthen internal ties in the family, as those in the photos are the same people that make up the family, even though it can include photos from specific activities of one or more of the family members of from other related groups. If the home is the place where photography is generated or kept, we can conclude that consequently it is a photographic space.

This highly abundant form of photography, while orphaned when separated from its space of origin, has traditionally been underrated by institutions as it does not normally form part of an artistic narrative or offer an excellent execution, (except for pictures by very good amateurs). However, in recent years it has been championed as a documentary source and is repeatedly used in contemporary artistic creation.