BIOGRAPHY OF TACHO MARTÍNEZ PÉREZ

Tacho (Zamora, 1956) is a visual creator and researcher of materials whose career spans more than five decades of constant experimentation. His work moves with complete freedom between organic texture, social documentation, and the contemporary pixel; he has exhibited his pieces in Castile and León, Catalonia, and Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. Known for his versatility, he documented the counterculture in the seminal book Itinerarios por el old school graffiti en España (Itineraries of Old-School Graffiti in Spain), co-authored with Jaume Gómez. In this mature phase of his creative life, he focuses on producing artist-led photobooks that recover memories from his vast international archive.

In his own words, the artist describes the driving force behind his creative universe:

"My inner world is fueled by an unquenchable need: to explore creativity through form, texture, and color. My love affair with the image began at age 17 with an analog 6x6-format camera, which sparked my inclination to seek out unexpected framing. From those early rural portraits to my later use of the iconic Nikon FM2, my gaze has always sought bold compositions in which everyday life—and the materials of daily existence—are transformed into art.

My true artistic transformation occurred when I began experimenting with painting in Benavente. There, I discovered the alchemy of materials, starting to incorporate elements like sand, sawdust, metal filings, lacquers, and dyes onto my surfaces. This gave birth to my Tachografías—a series of over 160 works in which I capture the intangible and a sense of controlled chaos within small, 6x6 cm glass squares. I then enlarge these images using digital technology, revealing secrets that remain invisible to the naked eye.

I view my work as the fruit of curiosity and a deep-seated need to express the plasticity of the present moment." For this reason, I am deeply grateful for your visit to this space and, above all, for your critical comments—which are what complete the circle of my creative work. »