Written by Eddie McDonald
April 23, 2018
April 23, 2018
Ever since he bought his first reflex camera in 2013, David Rodríguez has been making waves across the photography industry. Having loved art since he was a young child, he decided to dive into the world of photography. While teaching himself how to express his art through the camera lens, Rodríguez developed a unique and surreal style of photography.
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Growing up in the Canary Islands, water has always been a source of inspiration for Rodríguez. “It is possible that because of living (on) an island, it has always been a very common element in my life,” he says. His series Pool (2017) and Fresh II (2017) are clear examples of this. Rodríguez says that the series Pool “moves us to one of those summer days in which the sun and the heat reign… The minimalist compositions… the geometric forms and the luminous colors… are predominate.. (and) the water and its movement have a special stardom.” Rodríguez derived inspiration from David Hockney, whose paintings are a series of scenes developed around a swimming pool. However, Rodríguez has many other artists that he looks to for inspiration.
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Some of his favorite artists include Man Ray, and Erwin Blumenfeld, but he has a particular affinity for Guy Bourdin. One of Bourdin’s photos helped inspire Rodríguez to come up with the idea for Fresh (2016), Pool (2017), and Fresh II (2017). “In the picture, there is a girl under the water with her eyes and mouth open. The first time I saw the picture, I was enthralled with (it) instantly…”, he says.
Rodríguez prefers to photograph people. He says, “Each person inspires me (in) a different sensation… I imagine how I would like to portray him or her. Then I create a concept and imagine a story. I do not like to get attached to reality. Instead, I like to transform it, challenging the model with unusual situations.” Rodríguez uses a variety of techniques to capture his preconceptual vision, including high shutter speed and long exposures.
Rodríguez prefers to photograph people. He says, “Each person inspires me (in) a different sensation… I imagine how I would like to portray him or her. Then I create a concept and imagine a story. I do not like to get attached to reality. Instead, I like to transform it, challenging the model with unusual situations.” Rodríguez uses a variety of techniques to capture his preconceptual vision, including high shutter speed and long exposures.
I do not like to get attached to reality. Instead, I like to transform it. Rodríguez’s style has deep roots in pop culture. “All of (his) works are in square format, as if they were the cover off a vinyl record.” The characters that he creates convey emotions to the viewer. Like a movie or a novel, Rodríguez believes that his art should have a deeper meaning. He likes to endow his photos in a “… halo of mystery…” and, “…play with the imagination of the viewer…”
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Since 2016, Rodríguez’s photos have been published in five different magazines on eight different occasions and published multiple times online. His works have also been shown at seven collective exhibitions. In the future, Rodríguez hopes to “…explore the world of fashion photography.”
Photos appear courtesy of David Rodriguez. Written by Eddie McDonald. Edited by Philip Stiles and Zachary Roberts.