Random Excellence: Chema Madoz

Some of these conceptual still lifes by the Spanish photographer Chema Madoz will make you laugh, which of course means they can't be art. (I'm kidding.) Simple and elegant but very inventive; if you're in the mood, delightful.

A further sampling here; his site is here. All the books except this one are out of print.

Mike
(Thanks to Phil Aynsley)

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Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Dennis Ng: "A master of the minor!"

Comments

[Eric]

I have always thought his work tinged with more than natural cleverness. And technically he is very good too. A minor master.

[Janne]

Fun and creative. But that link shows too many of them; it gets just a little repetitive, and the really great ones disappear in the mass of images. Less really is more for this sort of thing.

[John Camp]

I love that smile shot.

JC

[Martin]

You can make your own envelopes lined with Google maps like Madoz's here: http://mapenvelope.com/

[David Bostedo]

Though maybe a little less creative photographically than some others, I really like the "c" clamp photo.

[Miguel]

Chema Madoz is one of the most important photographer in Spain. Sometimes will make you laugh, but after seeing several of his prints, he also make you think

[Willem]

Since you are in the mood....
what about having a look at the work of Teun Hocks.
www.teunhocks.nl

[Frank Baldé]

For the Dutch readers on this site: In Rotterdam you can still visit an excellent exhibition of his work until April 3 (http://www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/index.php?option=com_nfm_agenda&task=view&id=311&Itemid=166)

Seeing these pictures large format is a great experience. Highly recommended!

[Rubén Osuna]

It is really, really great...

Photographers should take a look at Spaniard photographers, from the great old reportage photographers (like Ramón Masats, Catalá-Roca, etc. ) to the "modern" wave of photographers (from Ouka Leele or Garcia-Alix, to Madoz, Isabel Muñoz, Cristina García Rodero or Castro-Prieto)... And many, many more names...

Take a look... !!!!

R.

[Seth]

This is not a pipe.

[Lyle]

These are some really awesome shots! LOVE the spoon.

[Dennis]

Thanks Mike. One shot after another that makes me say "Why couldn't *I* have thought of that ?" I have to marvel at that kind of creative seeing.

[calvin amari]

This photographer once got me into trouble. A few years ago I located and purchased for my firm's corporate collection the last available print of this Madoz image. http://swissmiss.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/11/02/picture_3.png
A year or two later my wife brought home a gastronomy magazine with the same image on the cover. She said that she bought the magazine specifically because she thought the cover art, which she had never seen before, was terrific. I told her that, not only did I agree, but that I had in fact previously selected the piece for my company. After searching high and low only to sadly confirm that no other prints of this image were available anywhere in the world, I was in the doghouse for not buying it for our personal collection. I still hear complaints about about this from time to time.

[Ralph Eisenberg]

Great eye and mind opening photographer. Thanks for bringing him to my attention.

[jack]

How does he get burnt matches to remain perfectly straight?

[Peter Hovmand]

pretty good, and very inspiring :)

[hugo solo]

The best making photographic catologue for conceptual hi class stores.

[Salva]

And Madoz was the Spanish National Photography Prize 2000.

[Cem Usakligil]

Thanks to Frank Baldé's tip, I went to see the exhibition in Rotterdam today.

The pictures were much more impressive when seen printed large, properly matted and framed. The prints were silver gelatine and they looked gorgeous, most of them in the 40x50cm format. Originally I was afraid that his pictures would perhaps give me the impression of looking at a clever gimmick. I am so glad that this wasn't the case at all and I was really, really impressed. I think we all agree on the creativity of Madoz. I dare say equally important are his excellent, zen-like compositions and the simplicity and the beauty of his pictures. I was truly moved and humbled. I really recommend his book, which contains hundreds of his pictures; laid out and printed very well.