From reality to abstraction in Ricardo Santonja photographs

The photo exhibition „Art of Building in Spain” by Ricardo Santonja was opened in Schusev State Museum of Architecture in Moscow in September 2014. This exhibition presents a new architecture of Spain. In motherland Santonja’s works are called “Light and shade” poem. Spanish photographer
creates his pictures not only in a documentary way but uses light as a tool to achieve an abstract or even fantasy effect. And this special approach set him apart from the total number of specialists in photography. His exhibitions often called "From reality to abstraction". To create abstractions Santonja does not use "Photoshop" but just move the camera in a certain way, focusing on the diffuse light in the building. Among the masterpieces captured by Santonja are:

• the futuristic Valencia Opera House by Santiago Calatrava;

 Valencia Opera House, Valencia, Santiago Calatrava

• the unique Towers of Hercules in  in Cadiz; 

                                                                                    Towers of Hercules, Cádiz, Rafael de La-Hoz Castanys

•  the River aquarium in Zaragoza. 

Also experimental architecture such as

• Central heating station in Madrid;

• and an International Center of Advanced Technologies in Salamanca.

                                                 Centre CITA, Salamanca, J.M.Hernandez Leon, A.Siza, A.Corazon

And social projects like children school in Vizacaya

                                        Children School, Vizacaya, Federico Soriano

Concluding, I would say that, these photographs introduce to visitors not only the Spanish architects, but also the international architectural ideas, which are embodied in buildings in Spain.

Ksenia Moryakova

IAD 

Level 4