Published by Damiani. Text by Emilie Lee, Sarita Louise Moore, Anya Skidan, Grace Villamil.
Surrounded and inspired by a group of powerful female artists, Barcelona photographer Xavier Guardans (born 1954) created Self-Portraits over a decade. His black-and-white images, accompanied by the subjects’ voices, convey the confidence of women in the 21st century.
Traveling Lights is the second in a series of five projected volumes of Xavier Guardans's (born 1954) long-term photographic projects. In this publication, 40 photographs are selected from more than 200 in Guardans' ongoing photographic series investigating light. The series began in Egypt in 2004 and was developed in 14 countries, including Kenya, Belize, China, Senegal, Vietnam, Spain and the US, among others. The images are arranged so that a visual narrative is weaved through seemingly disparate environments: stone mineral deposits found in the glaciers of Patagonia are juxtaposed with dried bush photographed in Mexico, creating complex textures and connections. The effects of light unite photographs taken of various subjects around the world into a coherent series. "Photography is painting with light," Guardans notes. "Everything else comes after that."
Published by Damiani. Text by Christopher Harth, Amanda Schmitt.
Windows is the debut volume of photographer Xavier Guardans (born 1954), produced in 2006 while exploring the Kenyan wilderness. These black-and-white portraits of individuals from a variety of Kenyan tribes--including Turkana, Samburu, Masai, Rendille, Gabra and Pokot--were shot through the window of Guardans’ Toyota Land Cruiser. The background is empty (only bright white light outlines each individual), while the dark window acts as an equalizing picture frame. Despite (or because of) the uniform background and constant frame, the position and composure of the people photographed varies greatly, especially in the position of the hands--one man carries two baby goats in his arms, some hands are hidden, and many hands and arms invade the car window, leaning or reaching in, toward the viewer. Windows is the first in a series of five books to be published featuring Guardans’ long-term photographic projects.
Xavier Guardans: Traveling Lights
Xavier Guardans: Windows