honorable mention
Juan Rodríguez Morales
title
Heroes for a day
There is nothing imposed or prepared in these photographs, only a fistful of people trying to create their own world.
In 2003, he completed his studies in psychology. Afterwards, he studied photography in Alcobendas (Madrid) at People´s University. His first project was a documentation of refugee camps in Western Sahara, which culminated in his first exhibtion. Since, he has worked on several projects more focused on street photography. In 2011, Juan Rodríguez Morales participated in a photo workshop with Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, which changed his vision on photography. Since then he works hardly in new projects focused on street and documentary photography. In 2013, Juan was recognized during Photo España under Discoveries because of his project "One Big City". He has participated in a few collective exhibitions and publications. In 2015 he receives an Honorable Mention for the FotoVisura Grant for Outstanding Personal Photography Project with his work "Ghost world".
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entry description
For a year I have toured the biggest comic and pop culture conventions in my country to try and give a different view of the cosplay world. My work tries to unite reality and fiction by showing these fans dressed in their favorite heroes’ costumes in a real and everyday context, far away from any kind of prepared or choreographed stage. These "superheroes for a day", giving life to something that only exists in the pages of comics or a movie screen can transform the reality that surrounds us. It is a journey back and forth between reality and fiction. They walk the streets like any of us, but at the same time they transform the streets into something out of an X-Men comic book scenario. That's why I did not want to show them as all mighty heroes from a comic book cover, but as flesh and blood beings who really live among us. This work is also a consideration of the evasion and construction of a customized reality and identity. “Cosplayers” do not settle for watching their heroes on television or in the movies, they want to take them off the screen and live like them even if it is only for one day. For this, they make their own costumes, masks and all kinds of accessories, and in the process have created a huge community in which to share their particular passion and way of life.There is nothing imposed or prepared in these photographs, only a fistful of people trying to create their own world.
about the photographer
Born in Madrid (Spain) in 1980, Juan Rodríguez Morales is an emerging documentary photographer based in Madrid.In 2003, he completed his studies in psychology. Afterwards, he studied photography in Alcobendas (Madrid) at People´s University. His first project was a documentation of refugee camps in Western Sahara, which culminated in his first exhibtion. Since, he has worked on several projects more focused on street photography. In 2011, Juan Rodríguez Morales participated in a photo workshop with Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, which changed his vision on photography. Since then he works hardly in new projects focused on street and documentary photography. In 2013, Juan was recognized during Photo España under Discoveries because of his project "One Big City". He has participated in a few collective exhibitions and publications. In 2015 he receives an Honorable Mention for the FotoVisura Grant for Outstanding Personal Photography Project with his work "Ghost world".
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