Instantes – Concha de la Rosa

The FVCK collective was born with the intention of boosting the panorama of Vigo’s photography with propositions that generate knowledge and debate, and in the few months that it has been operating each call counts as a success. Cristina Crisis and Puri Diaz’s formula is very simple: in addition to the passion and effort they devote to taking the project forward – in as much as the enthusiasm and personal optimism of each of them – we must add the novelty and freshness of each new proposal.

In their premiere in the exhibition curatorship, they present in the Sala de Fotografía Sargadelos the work “INSTANTES” by the Sevillian photographer Concha De La Rosa (1973), which will be available until November 5th.

I refuse to settle for the happy comparison with Edward Hopper’s work -whose similarity is perhaps justified by the waiting attitude of some of the characters who inhabit the Sevillian author’s photographs- or the treatment of color and cutting of planes perhaps influenced by Saul Leiter’s work, and I surrender to an experience of composition, color and shadow of fascinating beauty.

Concha de la Rosa’s work demands a warm and calm vision, without surprises, allowing the gaze to become accustomed to the subtle nuances through which colour flows and fades. Rarely will we be surprised by the gaze of the subject, which certainly contributes to reassure the viewer. The dimensions of the Sala Sargadelos in Vigo create an adequate space for a serene conversation, in which we will be surprised by some intelligent details that have been taken into account to arrange the photographs in narrative groups.

When the shadows are dispersed, giving way to more luminous scenes, the colour does not become strident, maintaining convenient saturation levels and avoiding falling into a clumsy melancholy that would have ruined the general impression. The absence of shadows in these pronounced scenes avoids the pitiful wounds of exaggerated contrast.

After the obligatory -and overcrowded- opening session, a period of almost a month is now opened in order to be able to enjoy Concha de la Rosa’s work quietly and calmly.