In Madrid, in traffic, men –above all– and women totally lose their autonomy. Physically tied to their cars, they are confined until they turn into mutants, inseparable machine-men. Opting to approach these situations from very close up, with the use of flash, and harsh settings, the photographer underlines the (generally denied) violence that the drivers –those who fell into the trap– chose. The saturated colour treatment, with a preference for brightness and glare with deep contrasts that structure the image, adds to the feeling of distress that emerges from the whole series. In Karma; –the first book by the photographer to have received awards all over the world, and which immediately enabled his international recognition– we find characteristics of the dynamic of a new Spanish photography, outstanding in the use of gloss and with its roots in the documentary, which successfully explores contemporary aesthetics to investigate our societies.

Oscar was born in Malaga in 1981, and lives and works in Madrid. He studied Photography at the Arte 10 School in Madrid. He has been a member of the BlankPaper Collective since it was set up in 2003. He has received grants from the Colegio de España in Paris and from the Temas de Arte Foundation, and was a finalist in Descubrimientos PhotoEspaña in 2011. His work has been shown in Ivory Press, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Teatro Fernán Gómez and Instituto Francés in Madrid; in Foto Colectania in Barcelona; in Le Bal and RVB Books Gallery in Paris, and in IMA Gallery in Tokyo. In 2013 he published his first book, Karma, which won the First PhotoBook Prize of Paris Photo – Aperture Foundation.

Oscar Monzón (Malaga, 1981)
Karma

2015 Edition
Outdoor installation
Venue: Zabala School