Home / Quotes / Quote by Joan Fontcuberta

Quote by Joan Fontcuberta

“I have always thought that the photographer does artistic work and that art consists of working with fictional premises.”

Quote by Joan Fontcuberta

Author

Joan Fontcuberta

Joan Fontcuberta is a renowned conceptual artist known for his photographic works and multimedia installations. His art often delves into the authenticity and fictionality of photography, as well as the role of media in shaping reality. Born on February 24, 1955, Fontcuberta's artistic career is marked by a deep exploration of photography and the visual language. more

You May Also Like

“There are religions in which the representation of the world is banned as an usurpation of the power of a God, creator of all things. It is very possible that photography is a trick of the devil and each shot is a sin.”

World Sin Photography Devil Shots All Things Creator Tricks Representation Banned Usurpation

Author:Joan Fontcuberta

“Photography... has lived under the tyranny of its subject matter: the object has exercised an almost total domination.”

Matter Subjects Objects Photography Tyranny Domination Subject Matter

Author:Joan Fontcuberta

“The heart [of my work], the quintessential, remains the questioning of photographic truth. Be careful, be critical, doubt, and filter the information you receive.”

Heart Doubt Information Truth Is Remains Careful Critical Be Careful Questioning Filters Quintessential

Author:Joan Fontcuberta

“Every photograph is a fiction with pretensions to truth. Despite everything that we have been inculcated, all that we believe, photography always lies; it lies instinctively, lies because its nature does not allow it to do anything else.”

Believe Doe Has Beens Lying Fiction Photography Photograph Despite Pretension

Author:Joan Fontcuberta

“Photography mirrored the [nineteenth century] will towards rigor, towards defining details, the need for miniscule description, the long-distance optics, for technology at the service of truth, for concepts of credibility, of objectivity, the need to archive, for the consolidation of institutions like the museum, in short, towards a need to control memory.”

“Among photojournalists there is still a sense that doing a photomontage is far graver than adding a filter. I am against this type of hierarchy that demonizes some options over others, demonizes them in respect to, what - ideology or moral code?”

Stills Moral Type Ideology Code Hierarchy Filters Moral Code Photojournalists

Author:Joan Fontcuberta

“I need there to be documentary photographers, because my work is meta-documentary; it is a commentary about the documentary use of photography.”

Needs Use Photography Photographer Documentaries Commentary

Author:Joan Fontcuberta

“My grandfather killed himself falling off the dike in Ostend while photographing my two cousins. This can happen so easily when looking through a lens: for a split second nothing else exists outside the frame.”

Two Happens Fall Splits Grandfather Lenses Cousin My Grandfather Falling Off

Author:Martine Franck

“I feel concerned by what happens in the world.... I don't want to merely document; I want to know why a certain thing disturbs or attracts me and how a situation can affect the person involved.”

Knows World Want Feels Persons Happens Certain Situation Involved Concerned Documents

Author:Martine Franck

“What I like so much about photography is precisely the moment that cannot be anticipated; one must be constantly on the alert, ready to acclaim the unexpected.”

Moments Ready Photography Unexpected Acclaim

Author:Martine Franck