Chema Madoz PHOTOGRAPHER Jose Maria Rodriguez Madoz better

Chema Madoz PHOTOGRAPHER

Jose Maria Rodriguez Madoz better known as Chema Madoz is a Spanish photographer, born in Madrid on 20 January 1958. He studied Art History at Universidad Complutense de Madrid between 1980 and 1983. It is here that he was first exposed to the study of photography and imaging. During this time, he discovered the wonders of photography through his classes at the Image Teaching Center. From Madrid’s Fine Arts Academy, he studied from the photography workshops as well.

Madoz uses the Hasselbald, a medium format camera made in Sweden. Chema Madoz: Objetos (1990 to 1999) was most likely entirely made using this version of the camera. In addition to this, he previously used Mamiya‘s camera.

The unique style of Spanish photographer Chema Madoz combines a minimalist grammar with a surrealist-like twist that turns everyday objects into unexpected playful micro-universes. Madoz manipulates objects in his studio and assembles them in an unusual way. Although working with very few elements and making use of a minimalist language (elegant and symmetric composition, carefully balanced lighting), the visual universe created by Madoz has nothing of the severe coolness of certain Minimalism. Untitled, 2004

Madoz wants his images to slow us down and halt us in our tracks. He wants them so deeply imbedded in our minds and for so long that they become our very own. He wishes them "to always have something different to say to the person who wakes up with them on their wall every morning. To never wear out".

Chema Madoz’s still-lifes show everything around us from a new angle, taking nothing for granted.

“Objects have the same character that words do when you put one next to the other: they contaminate one another and meanings change. I profit from those circumstances. ” — Chema Madoz, in a 2010 interview with Ana Ibarra Jensen for Elephant magazine

Chema Madoz uses photography to create optical illusions. Whatever that is shown, is unlike the reality of objects. At times, one thinks, “that’s not possible!” Madoz’s photographic subjects are perfectly balanced and interestingly composed to make a visual illusion. He takes at the minimum two objects unrelated to each other yet when they are kept together in Madoz’s way, they entirely and surprisingly blend as one.