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Manuel Vazquez

© Manuel Vazquez

Manuel Vazquez”s project “Traces” is quite excellent. Snapshots of light that barely show the people walking along the composition. Very original and distinctive, a series to remember.

© Manuel Vazquez

{ 8 } Comments

  1. Robert Lee | July 10, 2009 at 4:32 am | Permalink

    A very nice series indeed, but, with all due respect, hardly “original”. It is remarkably reminiscent of Ray K. Metzker”s work from the 60”s, 70”s and 80”s, as are Vazquez”s series “Commuters” and “Frames”.

  2. Miguel Garcia-Guzman | July 10, 2009 at 8:58 pm | Permalink

    Thanks Robert for the info. Yes, it is reminiscent o some images Ray Metzker although to me they are quite different, but I don””t know the work of R. Metzker in detail. Do you like to point to any image online?

    Warm regards,

    Miguel

  3. Robert Lee | July 13, 2009 at 3:39 am | Permalink

    His work is scarce online. May I email you some small jpegs scanned from a book? Please feel free to email me as well.

  4. Robert Lee | July 15, 2009 at 11:08 am | Permalink

    Selected scans (I apologize for the poor quality) from Metzker”s “City Stills”

    http://picasaweb.google.com/fatunga/Metzker?authkey=Gv1sRgCN3orruchfCOkgE&feat=directlink

    Other Metzker on line:

    http://www.locksgallery.com/artists/metzker/works.html

    Best regards,
    Robert

  5. Miguel Garcia-Guzman | July 15, 2009 at 6:09 pm | Permalink

    Thanks very much Robert. I appreciate that you shared some images by Metzker. Yes, I can see the similarities. It is interesting that Manuel did not know about Metzker”s work neither.

    Thanks very much again,

    Miguel

  6. Robert Lee | July 16, 2009 at 5:05 am | Permalink

    You are welcome, Miguel.

    By the way, I have no issues with any artist taking up where another artist has left off and carrying on, responding to or transforming those ideas and themes in an honest way. My only quibble here was that I felt that your phrase “very original” overlooked a great photographer and an important and innovative body of work.

    I am surprised that Manuel was unfamiliar with Metzker”s work. I trust that he is pleased to know of a kindred spirit. I think that his series “Commuters” and “Frames” are even more evocative of Metzker than “Traces”. As far as I know, Mr. Metzker is still making art.

    Best wishes,
    Robert

  7. OV | July 22, 2009 at 2:22 pm | Permalink

    From Mr. Vazquez”s project description on his website:

    “This project researches the visual traces that are left in public places. Traces looks at the city as a theatrical scenario created with those visual codes, a ´theatrum mundi` . Here, each image is a montage of single photographs…”

    I would be interested to know as what point the author feels his photograph”s are merely assemblages or reconstructions in order to achieve a certain desired conceptual effect , rather than depicting an event that is genuinely happening at a specific time and place. Why not take the challenge and try to capture these desired moments when they are actually happening, instead of using montage of single images to get the effect you desire?

  8. John | July 29, 2009 at 8:15 am | Permalink

    This is very nice work and it does indeed bring Ray K. Metzker’s work to mind. BTW “Light Lines” is a great book on Metzker’s work. I also thought of two other photographers that have made some great work using light and shadow on the streets. Fan Ho and especially Trent Parke.

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