Ch. IV Intimate Talks with Helena Goñi
Helena is a New York based artist. Art has been present in her life since she was a child. In particular photography, without thinking that her hobby would become her job.
B-Antes que nada me gustaría saber cómo comezó tu sensibilidad y tu interés por arte.
H-La sensibilidad la he ido desarrollando desde niña y, en gran parte, gracias a la educación que recibí en casa. Recuerdo ir a museos y conciertos cuando era bien pequeña. A los 9 años, empecé a tener mucha curiosidad por la fotografía, ya que, al mudarnos desde Bilbao a la Isla de Vancouver (Canadá) durante un año y medio, la cámara se convirtió en un elemento que estaba presente en nuestras vidas, documentando esa experiencia. Más tarde, a lo largo de mi adolescencia, consumía mucha fotografía a través de revistas, carátulas de discos y mis ratitos (medidos al minuto) en internet, cuando el módem compartía la línea telefónica de casa.
A la hora de decidir estudiar y trabajar de ello, no he tenido cerca referentes de personas que fueran artistas o se dedicaran a ello, y en el colegio al que iba, al menos en esa época, tampoco se hablaba de opciones profesionales que se salieran de lo más normativo. Fueron mis padres quienes vieron mis inquietudes artísticas y me animaron a apuntarme a la carrera de Bellas Artes.
-First of all, I would like you to tell us a little about how your sensitivity and interest in art began and what led you to study it and then to work with it.
I have been developing my sensitivity since I was a child and, to a great extent, thanks to the education I received at home. I remember going to museums and concerts when I was very young. When I was 9 years old, I became very curious about photography, because when we moved from Bilbao to Vancouver Island (Canada) for a year and a half, the camera became an element that was present in our lives, documenting that experience. Later, throughout my adolescence, I consumed a lot of photography through magazines, album covers and my little moments (measured to the minute) on the internet, when the modem shared the phone line at home.
When I decided to study and work in this field, I did not have close references of people who were artists or were dedicated to it, and in the school I attended, at least at that time, there was no talk of professional options that were out of the norm. It was my parents who saw my artistic interests and encouraged me to sign up for a career in Fine Arts.
B- Cual es tu relación con la fotografía? Qué parte de tí representa?
H-Es muy poliédrica, como cualquier relación. Y también cambia según el rol que esté tomando yo con respecto a la fotografía en ese momento: como fotógrafa, como espectadora, como persona que tiene que comentar un trabajo de otrx…
B- What is your relationship with photography? What part of you does it represent?
H- It is very polyhedral, like any relationship. And it also changes according to the role I'm taking with respect to photography at that moment: as a photographer, as a spectator, as a person who has to comment on someone else's work...
B-Qué es lo que genera autorretratarte , teniendo en cuenta que es un momento íntimo entre vos y la cámara?
H-Desde que tuve mi primera cámara, me he hecho fotos rápidas y tímidas. Creo que si hubo un cambio cuando cumplí 30 años, era 2020 y estaba haciendo una residencia en París. Tenía un estudio que hacía esquina, sin edificios delante y con una luz maravillosa. A nivel personal estaba atravesando algunos cambios, y empecé a fotografiarme de otra manera, más directa, con menos miedo, probando a verme desde lugares que antes no me había fotografiado o visto. Y ahí lo empecé a disfrutar mucho más. Es una manera de hacerme un regalo a mí misma.
-What is it that generates self-portraits, considering that it is an intimate moment between you and the camera?
Since I had my first camera, I have taken quick and shy pictures. I think there was a change when I turned 30, it was 2020 and I was doing a residency in Paris. I had a corner studio with no buildings in front of it and wonderful light. On a personal level I was going through some changes, and I started to photograph myself in a different way, more direct, with less fear, trying to see myself from places I had not photographed or seen before. And then I started to enjoy it much more. It's a way of giving myself a gift.
B-Cómo te sentiste al hacerlo con la lencería de Blumma?
H-Fue un momento muy distinto a otros que tengo cuando fotografío, incluso cuando me hago autorretratos. Creo que en parte porque estaba trabajando con una cámara digital, algo que no acostumbro a hacer y eso me permitía tener una relación más directa con la imagen, ser más consciente de mi interacción como modelo y como fotógrafa. Pero he de decir que la lencería la sentía muy parte de mí, es muy cómoda, me identifico mucho con el estilo de las prendas que llevaba, suave y sensual.
-How did it feel to do it with Blumma lingerie?
It was a very different moment from others I have when I photograph, even when I take self-portraits. I think partly because I was working with a digital camera, something I'm not used to doing, and that allowed me to have a more direct relationship with the image, to be more aware of my interaction as a model and as a photographer. But I have to say that the lingerie felt very much a part of me, it's very comfortable, I identify very much with the style of the clothes I wore, soft and sensual.
B-Sentirte cómoda y segura con tu cuerpo es algo que priorizas para estar mejor con vos misma?
H-Intento priorizar sentirme bien, tanto con mi cuerpo como con mi mente, y eso significa cosas distintas en momentos distintos, pero desde luego el autocuidado es importante para sentirse bien con una misma.
-Is feeling comfortable and confident with your body something you prioritize in order to feel better about yourself?
I try to prioritize feeling good, both with my body and my mind, and that means different things at different times, but of course self-care is important to feel good about yourself.
INTIMATE TALKS Ch. III
NEST by Carla Pérez Vas
Carla is a musician and photographer based in Barcelona. Artist who, from a very young age, has been part of the music group called Mourn. Her sensitivity towards photography and the need to express herself artistically led her to the creation of this photographic diary between herself, Blumma's pieces, and the camera.
EN B- We know that music occupies a very important place in your life, I'm curious to know what photography means to you.
C-Photography is my safe place. Intimate. A space where I feel free of any pressure. I am a person who lives very much in ideas and both photography and video help me to make them come true. Many times I am overwhelmed by the amount of photographs that we consume daily, I would like at some point to take charge of this imposition generated by the networks and filter better which photographs I decide to see.
ES B-Si bien sabemos que la música ocupa un lugar muy importante en tu vida, me da curiosidad saber lo que representa la fotografía para ti.
C-La fotografía es mi lugar seguro. Íntimo. Un espacio donde me siento libre de cualquier presión. Soy una persona que vive mucho en las ideas y tanto la fotografía como el vídeo me ayudan a hacerlas realidad. Muchas veces me abruma la cantidad de fotografías que consumimos a diario, me gustaría en algún momento cuidar esa imposición que generan las redes y filtrar mejor qué fotografías decido ver.
EN B- What do you think characterizes you as an artist that makes your music and your photographs represent the audience you want to reach?
C- I would like to think that it is how I tell my reality that continues to be shared with many people and that in some way, we can all feel on the same page. For me, it is very important to express myself artistically, in any way.
ES B-¿Qué es lo que crees que te define como artista que hace que tanto como tu música y tus fotografías representen al público al cual quieres llegar?
C-Me gustaría pensar que es el cómo cuento mi realidad que no deja de ser compartida con muchas personas y que de alguna forma, podemos sentirnos todes en la misma página. Para mi es muy importante expresarme artísticamente, sea de la forma que sea.
EN B- When I received your proposal to collaborate, I was very excited because your work is an inspiration for my project. I would like to know why you thought of Blumma when making your artistic proposal.
C- I was fascinated by your handmade work and the immense involvement in your project. Blumma's pieces are wonderful and not only did I want to put them on, but I really wanted to be able to photograph myself with them.
ES B-Cuando recibí tu propuesta de hacer una colaboración juntas me dio mucha ilusión porque tu trabajo es una fuente de inspiración para mi proyecto. Me gustaría saber porqué pensaste en Blumma a la hora de hacer tu propuesta artística?
C- Me fascinó tu trabajo hecho a mano y la inmensa implicación por tu proyecto. Las piezas de Blumma son maravillosas y no sólo quería ponerlas sino que me apeteció mucho poder retratarme con ellas.
EN B- I’m curious to know how you felt when portraying yourself with Blumma's pieces, it was an intimate moment between you and the camera.
C- I was clear that I wanted to portray specific details of the body and the pieces, creating a slightly more intimate and concrete language. Taking a self-portrait helps me a lot to express my ideas and get to know myself, it's something I hope always to do! I wanted the result to have a somewhat cinematic feel as if they were stills from an 8mm film.
ES B-Me da curiosidad saber como te sentiste a la hora de auto retratarte con las piezas de Blumma, teniendo en cuenta que es un momento íntimo entre uno y la cámara.
C-Tenía claro que quería retratar detalles concretos del cuerpo y de las piezas, creando un lenguaje un poco más íntimo y concreto. Autoretratarse me ayuda mucho a plasmar mis ideas y a autoconocerse, es algo que espero hacer siempre! Quería que el resultado tuviese un feel un poco cinematográfico, como si fueran capturas de una película de 8mm.
EN B- Referring to the concept “empowered women”, do you think that lingerie allowed you to feel more confident about yourself, perhaps with your relationship with your own body?
C- The relationship with my body is something that is sometimes quite difficult and the truth is that lately I have felt very comfortable wearing lingerie. Over time I have given it more importance since I have noticed a positive change with my body and self-esteem.
ES B-Teniendo en cuenta lo que significa el concepto de “empowered women”, crees que la lencería te permitió sentirte más segura de ti misma, quizás con la relación tuya con tu propio cuerpo?
C-La relación con mi cuerpo es algo que a veces es bastante difícil y la verdad es que últimamente me he sentido muy cómoda con la lencería. Con el tiempo le he dado más importancia ya que he notado un cambio mejor con mi cuerpo y autoestima.
EN B- What does beauty mean to you and how is this concept reflected in your photos?
C- For me, beauty is everything that makes you feel good when you look at it. I can find beauty in a space, a landscape, eyes, a fabric. The beauty I look for with the camera is more visual than emotional and often goes through internal filters. I couldn't tell you if everything I photograph seeks that beauty. What photography does do is transform, sometimes, something that didn't seem beautiful to me into something precious.
ES B-Para vos qué significa la belleza y cómo este concepto se ve reflejado en tus fotos?
C-Para mí la belleza es todo aquello que te hace sentir bien al mirarlo. Puedo encontrar belleza en un espacio, un paisaje, unos ojos, un tejido. La belleza que busco con la cámara es más visual que emocional y muchas veces pasa por filtros internos. No te sabría decir si todo lo que fotografío busca esa belleza. Lo que sí hace la fotografía es transformar, a veces, algo que no me parecía bello en algo precioso.
EN B- I would like to ask you if after taking the photos there is one in particular that identifies you the most and why.
C-I give a lot of importance to the idea of the nest, of taking care of where one rests. That space so yours that comforts you and embraces you. My favorite photo is the one I take in bed.
ES B-Por último me gustaría preguntarte si luego de hacer las fotos hay una en especial que más te identifica y por qué?
C-Le doy mucha importancia a la idea del nido, de cuidar donde una descansa. Ese espacio tan tuyo que te reconforta y te abraza. Mi foto favorita es la que salgo en la cama.
INTIMATE TALKS Ch. II
Emotional Body by Vanessa Martins
Emotional Body is fusion of dance and photography created by the talented artist Vanessa Martins, based in Madrid. The project aims to confidently celebrate the unique beauty of each individual's body.
Creative director and photography , Vanessa Martins - Dancers: Monica Carpintero, Enara Tarragò, Andrea Domingo, Eva Alonso.
B-How would you describe yourself as an artist?
V-As an artist I am very restless, therefore, I never stick to just one thing. I like to be able to cover everything, and I try to satisfy all my concerns as much as possible, hahaha...Right now I am in a phase of changes, in which I need to renew myself and do new things, therefore, I lend myself to experimentation until I can find my new path. And on the other hand, I am a very perfectionist and self-demanding and I find myself in a very beautiful position of being able to allow myself to make mistakes, failures, and fear, that in the end failure, mistakes are part of life and that making mistakes is natural.
B-Why “Emotional Body”?
V-Emotional Body - Our body is our tool of pleasure or pain, in dance, we work with our corporality, which is the protagonist body of every human act. And I wanted to reflect each one's body as it is.
B- Is dance and photography a means to enter the world of fantasy?
V-Fantasy and much more, in dance, you work from what you feel, therefore if you are faithful to yourself, many things can happen, such as creating that imaginary world through your body, and in photography it is that without imagination and creativity is very difficult for something to be captured, photography is the mental representation of something that we have experienced or simply that we create in our mind.
B-In this collaboration, your two passions came together, dance and photography. How did you feel capturing that moment?
V-For me, it is a great pleasure to be able to combine my two passions and even more so with colleagues with whom there is a very powerful friendship. Doing this work with them is truly a gift because I enjoy portraying them.
Why did you think of Blumma to dress the dancers in the photo shoot?
I have always loved Blumma, since it is part of absolutely everything, of that everyday life, of that routine, of that dialogue with women, where all bodies are received and respected, and then giving it that push of delicacy and at the same time of fun with each piece.
B-What is your relationship with lingerie and how did you feel about wearing Blumma's pieces?
V-Many years ago lingerie was very important to me I collected it because I loved it, but from a sexist posture. At the moment I realized that this was the case I began to change and stopped giving it importance, and I just wore what made me feel comfortable. But for two months or a little more, I had the immense need to have very special pieces for myself, in that I could have fun and enjoy them, and that made me feel, above all, good about myself.
INTIMATE TALKS Ch. I
Intimate Talks with Awil, the creator of Et Mains.
ES Awil es una artista y artesana que tiene su proyecto personal llamado Et Mains. Una marca de joyería y objetos creados a mano mediante técnicas tradicionales artesanas. Su estudio se encuentra en Barcelona, en un espacio compartido junto a otros artistas, escondido en el centro de manzana de unos de los barrios más bonitos de la ciudad. Un taller en donde sus puertas están abiertas también para aquellos que quieran participar de sus talleres.
EN Awil is an artist and craftwoman who has a project called Et Mains. A brand of jewelry and objects created by hand using traditional techniques. His studio is located in Barcelona, in a shared space with other artists, hidden in the charming patio of one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city. A creative space where its doors are also open for those who want to participate in the ceramic workshops that Awil’s space.
ES B- Cuál es la parte de proceso que más disfrutas?
A- La parte más interesante es cuando creo la pieza desde cero, cuando estoy en mi taller con los materiales y comienzo a crear. Sí bien que es verdad que parto de un diseño o una idea, pero luego la voy desarrollando y van saliendo cosas. Esa es la parte más mágica del proceso. Entre crear la pieza y el trabajo final que sale hay pequeñas variaciones que se escapan a tu control y no busco la perfección, ver el resultado final es súper interesante para mí.
EN B- What part of the process do you enjoy the most?
A- The most interesting part is when I create the piece from scratch when I am in my workshop with the materials and I start creating. Yes, I indeed start from a design or an idea, but then I develop it and things come out. That is the most magical part of the process. Between creating the piece and the final work that comes out there are small variations that are beyond your control and since I do not seek perfection, seeing the final result is super interesting for me
“Go little by little and ask yourself where you want to go. When we are aligned with our project, things happen on their own.”
ES B- Cuál es tu fuente de inspiración hoy?
A-Todo. Me inspira una peli, una canción, me inspira enamorarme, desenamorarme, mis amigas y amigos, todo. Soy latina e intensa, por eso me inspira todo (risas). Lo único que no me inspira es la exigencia. Soy muy responsable con lo que tengo que hacer, pero no me gusta ser exigente. Mi parte creativa es una niña que si le exigen mucho se bloquea. He tardado 42 años en entender esto. Me bloquea estar rodeada de personas muy exigentes y mi propia autoexigencia. Para eso, intento ser muy flexible y amable, es una responsabilidad conmigo misma. Es algo en lo que tengo que trabajar mucho para no bloquear mi inspiración.
EN B- What's your source of inspiration today?
A- All. A movie, or a song, inspires me, I am inspired by falling in love, falling out of love, my friends, and everything. I'm latina and intense, so everything inspires me (laughs). The only thing that doesn't inspire me is the demands. I am very responsible with what I have to do, but I don't like to be demanding. The creative part of me is a girl who, if too much is demanded of her, blocks herself. For that, I try to be very flexible and responsible with myself. It's something I have to work a lot with so as not to block my inspiration.
ES B- Con qué te conecta tu trabajo?
A-De niña me pasaba muchas horas en el taller de mi madre, que era sastre. Mi madre me daba un imán para recoger los alfileres que estaban por el suelo y me dejaba de premio la caja de los retales de tela, entonces yo ya de pequeña he tenido esa libertad de ser creativa. Por eso, para mí la creatividad es conectar con esa niña. Hoy en día es la cerámica lo que utilizo para eso , pero en un futuro puede ser la madera, el hierro. Al final no es un material en concreto, es un canal para expresar esa creatividad.
EN B- What does your work connect you with?
A- As a child, I spent many hours in my mother's workshop, who was a tailor. My mother gave me a magnet to pick up the pins that were on the floor and she left me the box of fabric scraps as a reward, so even as a child I have had that freedom to be creative. Therefore, for me, creativity is connecting with that girl. Nowadays it's ceramics that I use for that, but in the future, it may be wood or iron. In the end, it is not a specific thing, it's a channel to express that creativity
ES B-A través de la creatividad llegas a sentir felicidad ?
A-Absolutamente, porque me conecta con esa niña que lo que quiere es expresarse de alguna manera y para mí eso es la felicidad. Sentir esa conexión con esta libertad, y por eso podría decir que Et Mains me hace sentir muy libre.
EN B- Through creativity do you come to feel happiness?
A- Absolutely, because it connects me with that girl who wants to express herself in some way, and for me that is happiness. I feel that connection with this freedom, and that's why I could say that Et Mains makes me feel very free.
ES B-Qué es lo que te ayuda a seguir adelante con tu proyecto?
A- Preguntarme qué me hace feliz. Mi proyecto es muy personal y emocional, es una necesidad vital. Para mí fue muy importante entender por qué yo tenía que llevar a cabo Et Mains , cómo rentabilizarlo para hacer las cosas de la mejor posible. Es importante ser muy honesto con uno mismo y saber qué es lo más importante a la hora de seguir con un proyecto. Siempre preguntarse cómo uno se siente y qué es lo que una necesita. Ir de a poco y preguntarnos hacia dónde quieres llegar.
Lo importante es el disfrute al final , una vez que se consigue ese equilibro las cosas van fluyendo. Cuando estamos alineados con nuestro proyecto, las cosas van saliendo solas.
EN B- What helps you move forward with your project?
A-Ask myself what makes me happy. My project is very personal and emotional since it is a vital necessity. For me, it was vital to understand why I had to carry out Et Mains, and how to make it profitable to do things as best as possible. It's important, to be honest with yourself and know what is most important when continuing with a project. Always ask yourself how you feel and what you need. Go little by little and ask ourselves where we want to go. When we are aligned with our project, things happen on their own.
ES B-Qué representan las manos?
A-Yo creo que tengo un gen obsesivo de manera positiva con las manos. Las manos vienen de ese mismo momento que compartía de pequeña junto a mi madre en su taller. Con las tizas de modista ya tallaba manos. Ya luego de grandes he comenzado a dibujarlas y pintarlas sobre papel cada vez más, y luego ya sabiendo que las manos son la primera expresión artística del ser humano sumado a que la mayoría estaban hechas por mujeres, entonces allí dije sí, manos por todos lados.
EN B- What do the hands represent?
A- The hands come from that same moment that I shared as a child with my mother in her workshop. With the dressmaker's chalk, I was already carving hands. After I grew up I began to draw and paint them on paper more and more, and then knowing that hands are the first artistic expression of the human being and that most of them were made by women, then I said yes, hands everywhere.
ES B-Tienes algún tipo de rutina a la hora de comenzar el día en tu estudio?
A-Yo soy muy orgánica en el proceso, pero una cosa que busco es el orden. Si me pongo hacer algo en concreto, necesito tener todos los materiales ordenados e intento aprovechar muy bien los tiempos. No me gusta a mitad de trabajo sentir que me falta una herramienta que necesito.Yo empiezo con orden y termino en un caos ordenado. El desorden no me inspira, partir desde el desorden me cuenta mucho.
EN B- Do you have any routine when starting the day in your studio?
A- I am very organic in the process, but one thing I look for is order. If I set out to do something specific, I need to have all the materials organized and I try to make the most of my time. I don't like to feel halfway through work that I'm missing a tool I need. I start with order and end in orderly chaos. Disorder does not inspire me.
ES B-Qué representa Barcelona en tu vida?
A-Barcelona es una ciudad muy cosmopolita y muy creativa que me inspira mucho. Antes he vivido en Madrid y en Tenerife pero al llegar a Barcelona he encontrado esta claridad para centrarme. Es una ciudad que inspira a hacer cosas.
EN B- What does Barcelona represent in your life?
A-Barcelona is a very cosmopolitan and very creative city that inspires me a lot. Before I lived in Madrid and Tenerife but upon arriving in Barcelona I have found this clarity of centering.