Joaquim Gomis: From the oblique gaze to visual narration

The Joan Miró Foundation (Barcelona, Spain) organizes an exhibition that presents the photographic legacy of Joaquim Gomis.

Joaquim Gomis: From the Oblique Gaze to Visual Narration includes a selection of almost 200 photographs and features one of the most interesting yet least known aspects of Gomis’ work: the fotoscops.

Born in Barcelona in 1902, Joaquim Gomis was one of the first European artists to venture into a new language in photography. He was an active figure in the cultural and artistic life of the educated Catalan bourgeoisie, and produced a broad and powerful body of photographic work in keeping with the most innovative approaches of his time.

The show includes two distinct areas. The first, The Oblique Gaze, covers photographs taken from 1922 to 1939, when Gomis worked as a pioneer in his field, stepping ahead of the Neues Sehen theorists and producing work that was influential in modern photography throughout Europe. Gomis took many of these photographs during his travels and stays in cities such as Paris and New York.

The second section of the exhibition, Visual Narration, features the fotoscops. In these photographic books, Gomis, together with Joan Prats, developed a unique vision halfway between the language of film and photojournalism. The fotoscops were instrumental in providing insight into the lives and works of major figures in 20th century art such as Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies, and Antoni Gaudí.

Date: through June 6.
Location: The Miró Foundation. Parc de Montjuïc s/n. 08038 Barcelona. Spain.
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm. Thursdays from 10am to 9.30pm. Sundays from 10am to 2.30pm.

Enjoy some of the photographs by Gomis in the following slideshow: