Joan Colom – El Raval 16 March - 20 May 2007

A remarkable selection of work by Joan Colom, a photographer still relatively unknown outside Spain. The exhibition features 84 black and white pictures from the years 1958 to 1961, all taken during Colom’s many visits to the Barrio Chino district of Barcelona, known today as Raval.

In this period the neighbourhood was a centre of prostitution and crime. For almost three years Colom used to take photographs here almost every day. To remain incognito he usually took pictures without looking through the lens. His subjects included the residents of the area: prostitutes, lovers, children and street vendors. Colom’s photographs are uncompromising and are characterised by his unusual perspective, dynamic settings, sharp contrasts and rough grain.

In 2002 Joan Colom received the Premo Nacional de Fotografia, in 2003 his first monograph appeared. This show was made possible with support from Fondació Foto Colectania in Barcelona and Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris.

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