«Martin Sampedro: The New Photography»
Sampedro’s “New Photography” incorporates latent lights and life forms, hallucinations and virtual beings, to question the nature of photography today in its relation to new forms of creating images in the digital era. Inspired by Valle-Inclán, whose portrayal of figures from Spain’s political history often appealed to obscenities, ruthlessness and vulgar imagery as a means to mock the theatrical insipidity, Sampedro’s images of desire and sexuality are politically subversive and challenge the nature of photography. It would be hard to give a definition to what “New Photography” means since this is mostly a personal relationship with the photograph itself. Whether new photography, fantastic photography or magical realism, Sampedro’s work is based on a complex imagery and drastic perspectives on life that encourages an intuitive approach. “As much as words can dress up an idea,”“, says the artist, “photography helps me undress the reality.”