Here you have a review of past Oscar Molina workshop in Madrid.
Please remember that this coming weekend workshop Oscar repeats BlankPaper headquarters in Valencia. If you want to write to point laescuelavalencia @ blankpap er.es
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"To attend my workshop, each student should have heard at least 50 times a work of Bach. Moreover, I believe that from now on I put as a condition. They say you can spend a lifetime listening to Bach without being exhausted. This is art. "
And this is Oscar Molina: a multifaceted original creator and lover of photography and music. Last weekend, we offered 'Behind the Camera', a workshop on creativity and its pitfalls.
'Behind the Camera' looks at all that we have to make a photographic project. Oscar has been studied and cataloged with the precision of a surgeon the creative process and its intrinsic rhythm, and has developed a system that combines philosophy, psychology and Zen tradition.
"I usually speak up, I like to move and walk, but I have a sprained ankle and this time I wont be able to." After this warning, Oscar, an earthquake energy, start by asking each student what is the picture in his life. He justifies his question this way: "For me, photography is very important, I'll bet living in it and not because I just started to portray the countries at war. Te you can play for life from the comfort of your home. "
Then we enter the heart of its methodology. His mapping of the creative process is based on the breath. For him, creating equal to breathe and creative hubs are "snot", breathing problems that can get to create a "creative asthma, that is, the momentary or complete collapse of all artistic endeavor.
Oscar lists five phases of the creative process: information, pregnancy, lighting, review and socialization. And emphasizes that the creation has to pass through the center of ourselves, get in touch with the most intimate of the creator, in the same way that air reaches the alveoli to become the oxygen it needs a living organism. That, of course, if one hopes that his work transcends time.
If the phase of the information you need to have an attitude of wide-angle, ie, be receptive to all kinds of influences at the stage of pregnancy, in which the inward journey begins, there that "focus angle of vision." metaphor used in this case Oscar is preparing a cake. Obviously we must know what cake to make and what ingredients we need. Then, a matter of time and heat, where heat is understood motivation, commitment, positioning, fascination with the project being carried out.
As for lighting, Oscar points out that "not a matter of belief, but experience." Lighting is the space of being and purpose, Oscar talk about "creative diet." He has and continues to the letter, including, among other things, never seeing TV and listening to music right up. But he warns, can not prescribe diets creative the rest, everyone has to find yours.
Upon review, noted that the processes do not believe in 'democracy', ie no use to anyone teaching our work and go changing course as we will comment. He advises having two or three reviewers of confidence and most importantly stick to this phase of the development: the criterion, it must have been marked from the stage of gestation. If not, there is strength in our project.
With regard to socialization, that is, the moment that our work takes off and gets to them, audiences, via exhibitions, books, blog, talk ... Oscar is sharp. The greatest danger is tempted to find a magic formula, commercial, socially accepted, and start to repeat over and over again. The only possible solution: risk, return to the path unsure of the search and research for creating, say, or is comfortable and fun: it is rather "intense" and requires much concentration. At each stage of creation, Oscar has identified several types of traps. Dissatisfaction, for example, "a key driver for progress, the process fuel creative. " Where is the problem, according to him? We do not know to be dissatisfied, we will drown when it appears that mood and then when it is impatience, which makes us want the best results and immediate. Oscar says: "Patience is a virtue extraordinary creative."
During the creative process, often appearing brother of insecurity: fear, an old friend of all artists, could paralyze or even kill the creation. Oscar it is very clear: "Only to us to make an obstacle to opportunity." It also appears the reviewer character that appears in our heads and dedicated to hinder, that if work is not good, if not going to like it or not is up to ... Oscar advised to ignore as far as possible to this character and handed to the reviewer well, that accompanies us throughout the creative journey that has its own voice in the fourth stage of the review.
Oscar warns: "Do not try to add content, workshops, courses, equipment is expensive ... not to provide a massage to the senses, comfortable but sterile. Of what it is to breathe. " And do not succeed, if success mean fame, recognition, money. What matter, for him, not trends, but the personal stories.
Over 16 hours, Oscar boundless energy deals with many concepts related to creativity. His method is Socratic: "We must be absolutely certain of what we do not know." I like questions. We wondered, for example, which is our main artistic influence and accompany their curiosity with a question: "is not the same copy to be created from an influence. The influence touches your head and heart, moves you and drives you yourself to discover who you are as creative. In short, it takes you to create original things. " Oscar reveals that its referent is Bach. After some reflection, spring names like Edgar Allan Poe, Ryzsard Kapuściński, Luis García Berlanga, Luigi Ghirri, Stephen Shore, Van Morrison, Walker Evans, Picasso, Rodko, Martin Parr, the Bauhaus, Michael Ackerman ...
The logical consequence is, therefore, ask: "What I want to be photographer? Who am I as a photographer? ". And that's when Oscar revealed the importance of 'seed image', the photograph that opens a creative path and leads us towards deepening of a particular project.
In the exposition of his reasoning, work with antonyms. Concentration precludes evasion; rest and quiet meditation; genius wit, ambiguity suggestion. These oppositions of concepts serve to refine our artistic approaches. "On the ambiguity is embodied something that has no defined structure, which leaves little room for spectators. Suggestive, however, opens an open and flexible to the viewer from a well-defined intention. "
Oscar stresses the importance of including the viewer into the approach of a work, "because I discovered long ago that we are three: the creator, the work and the viewer. " It also suggests an answer after so many questions at close range, but his statements recall the Sibylline oracles. "I'd suggest before you make. Everyone has to find the answer, if I try to offer it would fail. "
In his statement, regarding uses ranging from literature to arts, music and photography. He quotes the poet José Ángel Valente: "Writing is a very personal adventure. He does not deserve trial. Ni asked. Can generate, sometimes begets another volition, a condition, an inside. Another personal adventure. That's all. " Or Eugen Herrigel, author of "Zen in the Art of Archery ': " The inspiration, said once the master league and joins, holding his breath all that is done is right, and expiration and eat free, overcoming all restrictions. " Talk about Valcárcel Medina, John Baldessari, Herman de Vries, Antoni Muntadas ...
Oscar Molina's workshop is an experience that leads to the deepening and the encounter with oneself . He, excellent communicator, does not hesitate to resort to anecdotes autobiographical to convey his wisdom. Account, for example, that his parents gave him when he was small his first camera and was told, when the first reel is over: "From now on, you'll have to shoot photos without reel and then tell us which photos you done. " This episode marked his entire career. His photography has always been very close to the literature and it shows in his latest project, 'Ammonites', which has invented an endless game between fossil pictures and words ( http://www.oscarmolina.com/omesg -ammonites.html ). "The projects are not invented, arise from the artistic evolution of each operator, "said Oscar.
One last observation. During the workshop, Oscar warns again and again: "My experience in photography is totally subjective, you can not prove." At the same time, draw graphs and dials on the chalkboard, reminiscent of the curves and diagrams of the economy. It does not handle variables such as demand and supply, he travels to fear, insecurity, dissatisfaction. Incidentally, the same impulses that led to the collapse of world stock markets on several occasions, because deep down, panic or optimism move the foundations of the financial world. Why s economy which then considered a science and creativity are not?
Valeria Saccone
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