David Rodriguez is from Spain and considers himself a lover of photography. He loves surreal photography and fashion photography. His main influences are Man Ray, Erwin Blumenfeld and above all Guy Bourdin. At the moment he is working on a series of photographs where he wants to pay homage to his photographic idols.

His work has appeared in numerous publications, both online and in print, including Average Art Magazine, a5zine Magazine, Whotisart Magazine, SynapseZine, Entropy Magazine, The Hummington Magazine and Crab Fat Magazine.

 

Artist’s Statement

From an early age, I have always been attracted to the art world, but my love for photography didn’t start until 2013, the year I bought my first reflex camera, and I began to explore my attraction to art.

Shortly afterwards, I began to train myself through several courses and was self-taught. While I was studying, I discovered new photographers.

One day, I discovered Guy Bourdin and a photo that fascinated me enormously. In the picture, there was a girl under the water with her eyes and mouth open. I was enthralled with this image instantly, and this is how I came up with the idea for the “Fresh” series.

I like to photograph people, I feel very comfortable doing portraits, but I always try to go a little further. That is the reason why I try to look for risky compositions, with a touch of surrealism. Works like those of Man Ray, Erwin Blumenfeld or Guy Bourdin inspire me immensely.

Each person inspires me a different sensation, so before I do the shooting, I imagine how I would like to portray him or her. Then, I create a concept and imagine a story. I do not like to get attached to reality. Instead, I like to transform it, challenging the model with unusual situations.

I play with the model, making each session a not only a cultural encounter but also an enriching and surprising experience for both of us. The use of the photography techniques I use, whether high speed, long exposure or another technique is determined by the conceptual preconception I had in mind.

I am especially interested in Pop Art. This is why all my works are in square format, as if they were the cover of a vinyl record.  In the future, I would like to explore the world of fashion photography.

It may sound selfish, but I have a need for the photos I do. Firstly, I believe in my work, so when I think I have something good, the feeling of sharing it with everyone else takes me over. I like to transmit emotions with my art and to observe how spectators conceive it. A photograph, like a movie or a novel, has to convey some meaning, and that is why I seek to transmit emotions through my work.

Water has always been a source of inspiration for me. Series like “Fresh” are clear examples of this influence. It is possible that because of living on the island of La Palma, it has always been a very common element in my life. However, I sometimes prefer to play with the imagination of the viewer, so I endow my photographs with a halo of mystery.

I think I have evolved a lot artistically in the last year, partly because of the good reception of the “Fresh” series. It was definitely a turning point.  My last project is “Fresh II”. This photoshoot is a series of dreamlike images, almost unreal, and is the continuation of “Fresh”.