Chema Madoz
Chema Madoz: Endless Imagination
It takes a clever mind and great skills to deceive people’s eye. Chema Madoz uses photography to create optical illusions. Whatever that is shown, is unlike the reality of objects. At times, one thinks, “that’s not possible!” Madoz’s photographic subjects are perfectly balanced and interestingly composed to make a visual illusion. He takes at the minimum two objects unrelated to each other yet when they are kept together in Madoz’s way, they entirely and surprisingly blend as one. Often the objects are placed in visually unpredicted settings but they coincide creating new meaning altogether.
A photographer from Spain, born in 1958, Chema Madoz is recognized for his monochrome surrealist images. From 1980 to 1983, Madoz attended Universidad Complutense de Madrid to study the history of art. During this time, he discovered the wonders of photography through his classes at the Image Teaching Center. From Madrid’s Fine Arts Academy, he studied from the photography workshops as well.
Madoz uses the Hasselbald, a medium format camera made in Sweden. Chema Madoz: Objetos (1990 to 1999) was most likely entirely made using this version of the camera. In addition to this, he previously used Mamiya‘s camera.
Chema Madoz has been taking pictures of objects beyond 20 years of his professional life. In this time he has developed a sharp skill to use common objects and craft them into a visual poem. He makes his objects or creates compositions only for the purpose of photography; he does not display them directly in an exhibition. The essence of his work lies not in what people see but what people don’t see – his work requires the viewer’s participation in order to be complete. His work compels people to see and think and this is how Madoz’s photography becomes extraordinary – it forces people to engage intellectually. Madoz’s photographs created tensions between what people see and what their brain deciphers. His photographs are untitled which in itself is a paradox.
Here is a link to an interview of Chema in his studio. (you will need to put English translation on)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np1dszmtICY
Questions:
What compositional elements do you see being used in his works?
What is most interesting to you about his work?
Tell me your favorite image and in great detail tell me why.
