"The Domestic Camera" at KBr Barcelona Through the Eyes of Sibux

A few months ago, we organized an Open Call around an exhibition at the Spanish KBr Barcelona Photo Center, part of Fundación MAPFRE Cultura. Drawing inspiration from the KBr photo exhibition The domestic camera on amateur photographic culture in Catalonia between 1880 and 1936, we invited the photographers to rediscover the more amateur side of analogue photography and to document the most special moments of their daily life.

Each of the five photographers selected developed their own special project using film and cameras provided by Lomography. Today we dive into the "domestic project" by Sibux, shot with the Diana F+ on Lady Grey 120 film.

Hi Sibux, welcome to our magazine! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I'm Sibux, a textbook Gemini. Vegetarian and fan of cactus, summer and good music. I've lived in Martorell (Barcelona) since I was born, one morning in June, 46 years ago. I am a visual artist and photographer. Trained in social education and in traditional and experimental photographic processes, with my project Sibux Fotografia, I combine the sale of my work with the work as an artistic and session photographer and training in creative photography teaching workshops in schools, civic and cultural centers and events.

How did you start your journey in the world of photography? When did film photography start to be part of it?

Since I was a child, art has always been present in my life in one way or another. From drawing to theater, through ceramics and music. I started in the world of photography when I discovered the universe of Lomography. Surfing the internet I found a "very rare" camera with 4 sequential lenses and I found it fascinating. I couldn't resist buying it. Then came the Diana F+, and the Sprocket Rocket and the Lubitel 166b, and my father's Yashica FX3 and so on! Photography ended up becoming my favorite artistic expression. Analogue photography allows me to edit the image in a totally analogical and manual way. Using masks, filters, film soups, alternative development or processes and techniques such as cyanotype, chlorotype and photo embroidery. Everything to transform reality into a dreamlike world where nothing is what it seems and everything is possible.

Was this your first time participating in this kind of Open Call? Why did you apply?

I usually participate in the calls that I find interesting. In this case, I felt very identified with the amateur photographers of the time. Although I have training in various photographic techniques and processes, almost all my knowledge in photography I have learned self-taught, with a very DIY philosophy and almost since I started with analogue, I have developed my rolls myself at home. So when I saw it, I signed up without thinking about it.

Can you tell us about the idea behind your project?

The project focuses on my day-to-day life and my comings and goings in my neighborhood. I took snapshots of the architecture of the neighborhood streets, merging them into multiple exposures with botanical textures.

In which way were you inspired by the exhibition "La Cámara Doméstica" at KBr?

I really enjoyed the exhibition. I felt very identified with the photographers, their photographs and their DIY spirit. I was also inspired by the fact of capturing the everyday. Daily life, vacations, community events. . . something that I also do frequently. In fact I always carry a camera in my bag, because you never know when inspiration will come. I was also inspired by the intimate portraits in the exhibition, doing a black and white portrait session with my partner, although for some reason I don't know, something went wrong and when I developed the film, unfortunately, there was nothing exposed. It's a pity, although this is also part of the analogue magic. Beyond the photographs, I really liked that the exhibition included photographic objects (cameras, developing kits...) and photography magazines of the time.

Which camera and film did you use? What features did you enjoy more?

For the photographs I used the Diana F+ and Lomography Lady Grey 400 ISO films. I am a fan of medium format, and I like black and white because I think it gives a solemn air to the photographs. What I like most about the Diana F+ is its characteristic vintage vignetting, and its versatility and simplicity of use.

Do you have any interesting projects or collaborations planned?

I have been working these last months for the exhibition/gallery Firart in which I participated with the artistic project "Blau i Verd" (Blue and Green), a series of portraits in which I have taken photography to the 3 dimensions, through chlorotypies on for example, mulberry or water lily leaves and cyanotypies on supports such as plates, eggshells, stones or in augmented reality. I am currently creating some new pieces for the exhibition The Art of the Sun, an artistic and scientific exhibition that I share with my friend and also visual artist and photographer Jordi Bofill Cunillera, which shows the action and importance of the sun in some photographic processes such as cyanotype, anthotypy, chlorotypy and solarigraphy and is touring the CaixaForum of the state. Although the exhibition is already on tour, since most of them are ephemeral processes where the images fade over time, the exhibition is constantly evolving and the photographs on display are renewed as they deteriorate.

Check out KBr to see their current exhibitions. And don't forget to follow Sibux on Instagram!

written by ludovicazen on 2024-11-02 #gear #culture #people #places #collaboration #spain #diana-f #lady-grey #open-call #kbr-barcelona