Press Release animal

PRESS RELEASE

FRAN MARTÍ SPAIN – FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER

ANIMAL ZOOMORPHIC MASKS BURKINA FASO EXHIBITION SHOWING FROM 6/2 - 28/3/2016

Galería Out of Africa Carrer Major, 7 - Carrer Nou - 08870 Sitges (Barcelona) – Spain www.galeria-out-of-africa.com - sorella@galeria-out-of-africa.com - Tel: +34 618 356 351

ANIMAL Out of Africa gallery of Sitges (Barcelona) presents “ANIMAL”, a photo essay by fine art photographer Fran MARTÍ, on show from February 6th to March 28th 2016. Fran Martí is an independent author from Barcelona, Spain with vast experience in travel and wild life photography and editorial portraits. Martí's photographs could be described as mysterious, powerful, intimate, epic and stirring.

In parallel, the gallery will also be showing a collection of zoomorphic masks used in traditional ritual dances by the Bobo and Gurunsi tribes, sourced during our recent trip to Burkina Faso.

FRAN MARTÍ, a photographer with both eyes wide open

Fran Martí – Fine Art Photographer - Spain

Self-taught like many others who share his passion, Martí completed his education in photography at various schools in Barcelona, Madrid and Paris. Currently settled in his home city, this Barcelona-born photographer has journeyed around the world and has been especially active in Asia and Africa. Following various photographic journeys in the north and south of the American Continent, in addition to a number of Asian countries and indeed European countries too, his relationship with Africa began in Kenya in 2007.

Fran Martí – High – Serengeti, Tanzania – 2011 – 68cm H x 120cm W Mineral pigments on Hahnemüle Photo Rag 308 gsm – Chromogenic print Signed original photograph, single copy

Since then, work on his project has taken him to Ethiopia on various occasions as well as to Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Gambia, the Republic of South Africa and Botswana. He has been able to count on the cooperation provided by the Bushmen, the Mursi, the Himba, the Masai, the Hamer and other indigenous tribes.

Fruit of his work is a traveling exhibition titled Ethiopia Between Dream and Reality, a book published under the same name that has been awarded "Best Digital Printing 2014" by the Guild of Graphic Arts and Communication Industry of Catalonia and his current series Animal.

Fran is closely involved in cooperation projects and 10% of his sales will be used to help fund the extension of the Jarren hospital in Gambia.

Elephants, rhinoceros, elands, cheetahs, leopards, wild African dogs, giraffes, baboons, warthogs, gibbons, gnus, zebras, antelopes, lions, water buffaloes, hippopotamuses, flamingos, sea lions, hyenas and salt water crocodiles are some of the animals Martí has photographed.

Fran Martí: “It is very difficult to get close to or even encounter wild animals. To know their habitat and terrain are two additional qualities the photographer must possess.

When photographing African wildlife, it is not only a mastering of the photographic technique that counts. A true wildlife photographer carefully studies each species prior to going out in the field. Generally a wildlife photographer is a convinced conservationist and for this reason would never risk the well-being of an animal just to obtain the perfect shot. Wildlife photographers tend to have an irresistible urge to capture dangerous animals on film, however in order to do so, it is necessary to be well informed and behave in a responsible manner. If you are after photographs of African animals in their natural habitat, you must never forget the reason why these creatures are called wildlife."

PACIENCE, HEARING AND BOTH EYES WIDE OPEN This kind of photography requires infinite patience. For Martí, the best way of seeing wild animals is to let them approach you. Hearing is the sense that Fran uses most of all when trying to locate fauna. He learnt to fine-tune his hearing to pick up any sound that tells him the species he is tracking is near: the snap of a branch, a call to another member of the same species...The advice Fran can suggest is to photograph with both eyes wide open. “Capturing the moment that will render the desired image is a very fast process, and therefore keeping both eyes open may help to anticipate an imminent scene. In addition, it will keep us more on guard against dangerous species."

Fran Martí – Small boy – Botswana – 2014 – 68cm H x 120cm W Mineral pigments on Hahnemüle Photo Rag 308 gsm – Chromogenic print Signed original photograph, single copy

TECHNIQUE, CAMERA, POST PROCESSING Fran Marti’s training and experience both in analogue photography as well as in new technologies has allowed him to take on projects with advanced digital post processing. He currently works with medium-format digital technology, with mediumformat film cameras, chemical processing and mixed media.

Two Canon bodies, 1Ds Mk III and a 5D Mk III, with the following lenses: - 14mm f/2.8L - 16-35mm f/2.8L - 24-70mm f/2.8L - 50mm f/1.2L - 85mm f/1.2L - 135mm f/2.0L - 70-200 f/2.8L IS - 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS - 500mm f/4L IS Hasselblad H3DII-40 with the following lenses: -

HCD 28mm f/4.0 HC 35mm f/3.5 HC 50mm f/3.5 HC 80mm f/2.8 HC Macro 120mm f/4

Mamiya 7 with the following lenses: - 43mm f/4,5 - 80mm f/4 In 2015, Fran Martí and photographers Miguel Soler-Roig and Juan Más-Bagá set up the “Trilight Collective” and together participated in the project “Bajo el cielo andaluz” (Under the Andalusian sky), in the company of Kim Weston.

Martí’s project “Panta Rei”, a very personal view of the world he encounters around him and developed over the last eight years of his travels, has received excellent reviews.

EXHIBITIONS -

Trier University, Idar-Oberstein, Germany, April-May 2013 Greenpoint Gallery, NYC, USA, December 2013 Galeria OUT OF AFRICA, Sitges (Barcelona), Spain, February-March 2014 ART LIBRIS, Barcelona, Spain, April 2014 Galerie a la Riviere, PARIS PHOTO, Paris, France, November 2014 SCAN, Tarragona, Spain, October-December 2014 Espacio PABLO TORRE, Madrid, Spain, February-March 2015 FINEART, Igualada (Barcelona), Spain, March 2015 Museu de la Vida Rural (L’Espluga de Francoli), Spain, April-May 2015 ARTS LIBRIS, Barcelona, Spain, April 2015 BO-KAO, Ibiza, Spain, August 2015 MACO FOTO, México D.F., September 2015 Casa degli Italiani, Barcelona, Spain, October 2015 MONDO Galería, Madrid, Spain, December 2015 Galeria OUT OF AFRICA, Sitges (Barcelona), Spain, February-March 2016 C.E.R.N., Geneva, Switzerland, June 2016

Fran Martí – Storm – Aberdares, Kenya – 2007 – 60cm H x 112cm W Mineral pigments on Hahnemüle Photo Rag 308 gsm – Chromogenic print Signed original photograph, single copy

Fran Martí – The great migration – Masai Mara, Kenya – 2007 – 80cm H x 120cm W Mineral pigments on Hahnemüle Photo Rag 308 gsm – Chromogenic print Signed original photograph, single copy 34

Fran Martí – Time off – Nakuru Lake, Kenya - 2007 – 60cm H x 120cm W Mineral pigments on Hahnemüle Photo Rag 308 gsm – Chromogenic print Signed original photograph, single copy

ZOOMORPHIC MASKS FROM BURKINA FASO AUTHENTIC African masks are not mere pieces of more or less decorative wood.

Instead they are religious symbols with a moderating function in the life of the village.

They are generally used in farming, funerary, festive and initiation rituals, the latter marking a rite of passage of each male inhabitant in order to be admitted as a full member of his community. There are many ethnic groups that do not use masks, and many others that do not practise initiation rites.

In funerary rites, the mask captures the vital force that leaves when a person passes.

The mask controls the vital force, avoids it harming the community and distributes it in benefit of all.

During the ritual dance, the mask protects the person that wears it, and transforms that person into another being. The wearer of the mask is required to be dressed so as not to be recognised. The outfit is also considered a mask, however the head is the most important element, as here resides the vital force.

The main activity in rural areas is agriculture. Mask rituals therefore tend to take place during the dry season, when there is less work.

An African mask has two elements. The first is the mask itself that hides the wearer’s head. The actor must become the being he/she is to represent, and accordingly the carved mask and the headpiece must hide the actor’s head. The other element is the disguise, which completely covers the dancer's body and is often made out of palm matting, raffia or cloth. In many cases these disguises are complemented with sticks, rattles, stilts and other elements that confer strength to the general appearance.

Máscara chiwara – Bambara – Mali 135cm Alt x 35cm A c 10cm P – Madera

Máscara loro – Bobo – Burkina Faso 80cm Alt x 35cm A x 34cm P – Madera y pigmentos naturales

Marion Lavabre - Nunuma dance with buffalo mask – Bwa tribe – Burkina Faso

ZOOMORPHIC MASKS Masks with animal traits or a combination of animal heads showing human characteristics are frequent. These masks are the most appropriate way to express the relationship of man with the supernatural. By taking the appearance of an animal, the wearer becomes, not only in appearance, but also in essence, a new being, incarnating in this fashion the attributes of the represented animal. Thus the head of an elephant symbolises its strength; a spider, intelligence; horns, the moons...which in turn symbolises fertility.

In fact, in the eyes of an African, man and animal possess the same vital energy, which can be transmitted by means of the appropriate rites. A man may also acquire certain

qualities attributed to a particular animal, such as the strength of a lion, the vital power of a bull or the agility of an antelope. Animal masks originate with the myths that describe the existence of supernatural beings that take the appearance of animals. Oral storytelling of these myths have created an awareness of a mysterious connexion between man and animal.

When the dancer uses such masks, he is transfigured; he masterfully replicates the movements of the animal if it is known one; when the mask represents an extinct or mythological animal, the dancer is unable to represent it, however this added difficulty is an incentive for creative fantasy.

Marion Lavabre - Nunuma dance with warthog mask – Bwa tribe – Burkina Faso

The characteristics of a mythological animal are varied. Its important role in the creation of the world is highlighted and often associated with the origin of ancestors.

Thus it is believed that a particular animal helped the founder of the tribe to occupy the land that is currently theirs and was vital in imparting valuable knowledge.

This mystic and solid connexion with a legendary ancestor made these animals protectors or guardians of a particular group. This belief creates a strong binding link unifying all the clan. For this reason it is forbidden to kill the said animal and eat its meat.

There is another aspect to take into consideration. It is believed that when an animal dies, its spiritual energy is released and so in order to avoid this wondering spirit harming the hunter, masks are crafted to capture said energy so it remains under the hunter’s control.

BOBO MASKS (BURKINA FASO)

Dancer with antelope mask – Bobo tribe – Burkina Faso

The Bobo are an ethnic group devoted to agricultural activity that live in Burkina Faso and also in Mali and are divided into many sub-ethnic groups. The blacksmith holds a predominant position in this group, since their mythology states he was the first man to be created. They believe in “Wuro”, supreme god and creator of the earth and all animals. “Dwo”, son of Wuro, is the mediator between man and the creator himself, expressed through the mask. The blacksmiths, scupltors of the masks, are the priests of Dwo. Certain sub-ethnic groups paint their masks with traditional white colours and display very pronounced features.

The masks that represent the forces of fertility, fecundity and growth, among them that of the buffalo, are used to dance during purification ceremonies prior to the start of agricultural activity. Their mission is to get rid of evil, brought upon by the mistakes made by man, and to re-establish God´s equilibrium between the sun, the earth and the rain.

Máscara antílope Nyanga, Bobo Fing, Burkina Faso, 76cm Alt x 22cm A x 45cm P, Madera y pigmentos naturales

Máscara gacela Newenka, Bobo Fing, 170cm Alt x 25cm A x 30cm P; madera y pigmentos naturales

GURUNSI MASKS (BURKINA FASO) The Gurunsi live in the north of Ivory Coast, to the west and south of the Mossi plateau, however they are also present in Ghana and Burkina Faso. As well as being farmers and fishermen, they are also hunters. The Gurunsi are renowned sculptors and their mango-shaped masks, decorated with geometric designs, represent the spirits of the forest. Also remarkable are their male or female masks, carved or painted with geometric designs, in the form of a shield and crowned with human figures or large horns. They are used at night in ceremonies to honour the spirits.

Contact:

Sorella Acosta GalerĂ­a Out of Africa sorella@galeria-out-of-africa.com www.galeria-out-of-africa.com +34 618 356 351 C./ Major 7 08870 Sitges (Barcelona) Spain