War Photographer - James Nachtwey

Josef Koudelka - a time lab -II -

It was January 1997, just few months after I had finished my Master at Goldsmiths when I had the chance to do an internship at Magnum Photos. For a period of 7 weeks I worked at London´s office everyday during normal working hours. My tasks while there were various but to begin with, I was mainly in charge of tea and coffee making facilities and doing photocopies of the magazines and articles featuring Magnum´s photographs. Occasionally I would popped in to the Lab where all the printing was being done. At the end of the day I usually stayed longer so I could look into the archive and see all the photographs I had known for years.

There for the first time I saw the original prints that Koudelka himself had done of his work of Prague 68. I remember myself fascinate, looking at them scrutinizing every detail of those photographs, observing the composition, the contrast, the way they had been all printed in fiber base chloro bromide paper.

One Monday I was asked to do photocopies. 7 hours a day of photocopies can be very alienating and often I wondered what the hell I was doing wasting my time in Magnum, not even getting paid. I kept on telling myself tat it was a unique experience and it the long term it would be worth my time. Luckily the photocopy exile lasted only for a week and soon I was sent back to the archive, filing the returned photographs and putting together new orders to go out.

One day there was a sudden sense of excitement around the office. Josef Koudelka had arrived and everybody went out to greet him with affection. He was by far the most appreciated by all members of staff and in return, he was very affectionate and friendly to everyone. He came to me and said: "Hi I´m Josef " shaking my hand. I am Iñigo I said.

We had a long chat talking about Spain, the Basque country, his passion for the country and its women whom he regard as very beautiful. He had a bottle of vodka an offer me a shot. But as It was quite early in the morning I politely declined. As he drank his glass he explained how in his childhood Vodka was the cure for everything. Whether tooth ache or a twisted ankle, in Checoslovaquia Vodka was used as the remedy for all illnesses and pains. He laughed loudly!

Two years ago I went to Prague. My mother was there with a friend and invited me to join them there for a long weekend. On a miserable rainy morning I went looking for books and I suddenly saw Invasion 68 by Josef Koudelka. The book commemorating 40 years of the soviet invasion. I could not believe it I was in Prague and there I had the book with the entire collection of photographs that 9 years earlier I had had in my hands. My only disappointment was that the texts were in Chech and therefore to the day I haven´t been able to understand a single word of it. But I could not care less. It was the book by Koudelka and I was in Prague, on the spring of 2008, exactly in the very same avenue where 40 years earlier those images have been taken.

I saw Josef Kouldelka 7 months later in Paris Photo. As I was getting in he was leaving as he told me, horrified about the whole merchandise of the fair which disgusted him.

Though vaguely he did remember me and we had a quick friendly chat. I gave him a my card and invited to stay at my place next time he happens to be in Barcelona. He is well known to be quite capable of spending months at a house where he was meant to stay just over night. But I don´t think I would mind.

Icon 085 is out

Icon Magazine issue 085 is out in the shops now featuring several pages with my photographs of the Shanghai Expo 2010. Icon Magazine is published in London and is one of the most respected Architecture and Design Magazines with and international distribution. I began working with Icon back in 2004 and I have been making regular contributions ever since.

http://www.iconeye.com/

Area 110 is out

Area issue 110. A monograph on the Shanghai Expo is featuring 10 of my photographs of the Spanish Pavilion by EMBT Miralles Tagliabue. Area is published in Italy.

Mark 26 is out

Mark Magazine issue 26 is out now featuring a 10 page display of my photographs of La Llotja in Leida by Mecanoo Architecten. Again with a text by Rafael Gomez-Moriana. A double page sample can be seen in the on line preview.

http://www.viewpictures.co.uk/Building.aspx?ID=24478

http://www.mark-magazine.com/magazine/26#

Joy of Love.The Bund, Shanghai 2010

Dennis Hopper: Photographs 1961-1967

Sex Shop, Shanghai 2010

I know its hard to believe but this is a picture of a Sex Shop, a health shop rather.

I decided to take the day off and as I was walking around the city, looking for an antiques market, I found this very odd place. Needless to say that it caught my attention and I could not resist entering to investigate.

"Sexual health shop" read the sign above the entrance of this small cubicle where a variety of condoms, creams, toys and lubricants and some other strange artifacts (and a Siberian Husky for that matter) were on display. I thought it was hilarious so I tried to engage in some conversation with the woman while pretending I was interested in acquiring some of the things she had for sale. Soon I realized that she spoke no english and since my chinese is none existent I desisted. But I did produce my camera and she stood there for few seconds for me to take this photograph. Then she hid and continued making the tea she was preparing when I entered the shop.

Once Upon a Time in America — Best ending

SUA en Madrid

El restaurante sucumbió hace unos meses a los rigores de la crisis y acabó cerrando. Pero Gonzalo Muñoz me envió hace ya un tiempo un fotografía de un rincón donde colgaba una de mis fotografías que más valoro.

Gonzalo siempre ha decorado sus bares y restaurantes con mis fotografías y guarda en su casa más de 20 copias originales que ha ido adquiriendo a lo largo de los años. Como Oscar y Gotzone o Bárbara y Paul que tambien tienen en sus casas sendas colecciones de mis fotografías. Ellos tienen también una copia de esta fotografía aunque en tamaño más pequeño.

Aunque no lo parece, para SUA Madrid encargamos una copia de más de un metro de alto por metro y medio de largo.

Hay otra tres copias de esta fotografía. La que tiene Arola, que Sara le regaló hace años por su cumpleaños, una en formato muy pequeño que regalé por su cumpleaños a Mercedes Canales y las dos únicas copias orginales que yo mismo hice y que guardo en mi casa.

Por cierto el SUA original, el primero sigue estando abierto en Bilbao.

DeNiro Talks about Once Upon A Time In America