The Avant-Garde Photography of Joaquim Pla Janini
Explore the link between photography and painting in the Catalan photographer's works.
The hour of the ghost (Not dated) by Joaquim Pla JaniniMuseu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya - MNAC, Barcelona
Joaquim Pla Janini was a Catalan photographer who despite earning his medical degree (1903) retired early in 1931 to dedicate all his time to photography, a hobby he had taken up in 1898.
Sombras paralelas (Undated) by Joaquim Pla JaniniMuseu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya - MNAC, Barcelona
Considered one of the leading ambassadors of pictorialism in Catalonia, his work approaches different themes, such as religion, family, genre painting and still life. His work was published in a wide range of magazines and he took part in numerous national and international exhibitions, winning several awards.
Afternoon sun (February 1943) by Joaquim Pla JaniniMuseu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya - MNAC, Barcelona
Pla Janini had a close relationship with pictorialism. The first pictorialism avenue he explored to achieve his aim was to produce works that were aesthetically similar to paintings, with painting being his other artistic skill.
The Parcae (1930) by Joaquim Pla JaniniMuseu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya - MNAC, Barcelona
The similarities between his photographic style and painting were captured more fully with symbolism. In fact, symbolist motifs survived much longer in photography. This is the case with Pla Janini's The Fates (1930).
They Listened to Chopin (1961) by Joaquim Pla JaniniMuseu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya - MNAC, Barcelona
They listened to Chopin
They listened to Chopin belongs to Pla Janini's last period, an era known for its depiction of trees, where, due to his extraordinary technical mastery, he manages to create a style that encapsulates his previous work and is considered fully his own.
The photographer plays around with the synthesis between music and photography, visually interpreting the prints which inspired Frédéric Chopin's melodies. The twisted trees are brought to life and are tinged with a kind of sadness, as if the maestro's musical compositions had left a profound mark of tragedy.
The right hand side of the foreground shows a tree whose trunk appears to have a face emerging from it, with an eye half open, a pointed nose, and a serene mouth. The expression appears to be one of complete introspection.
It is surrounded by other trunks which appear to move, twisting and turning to the beat of the melodies, which, until recently, were playing.
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