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FARAWAY SO CLOSE

After DEAR NEIGHBOR, here is my second photo book: FARAWAY SO CLOSE. It is the diary of an intimate journey. I venture into the woods because that is where my memories lie, in an attempt to fuse the role of father with the role of son through photography.

Alex Llovet

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Hi, I'm Alex Llovet and I want to ask your help to publish my second photobook: FARAWAY SO CLOSE.

A son or daughter teaches you how to learn again. And we speak very little of what happens to us when we become parents. In my case, it was a big emotional earthquake: in the blink of an eye, this event broke the shell that I had been building throughout my life, transforming me into a more fragile and vulnerable being. It also made me rethink my relationship with my own parents. Because one cannot be a father without the memory of being a son...

Five years later, after finding a new balance that reinforced my foundations, I needed to understand what had happened to me and share it through photography. That's when FARAWAY SO CLOSE was born.

I started to go into the forest. At first, for the simple pleasure of walking aimlessly, listening and observing. And gradually with the increasing awareness that I was looking for something, but unsure of what that was.

I also began to document this process, creating a photo diary of my trip. Sometimes I went walking alone, and sometimes with my daughter.

The forest therefore became the symbolic territory where realities resonate as distant in time and space as they are near emotionally. A trip back and forth between my present and my childhood memories to try ultimately to unite the roles of father and son, in search of my own identity.

And this exercise inevitably describes the border between reality and fiction (like my pictures, some of which are “found” and some “staged”), because the passing of time pushes the truth into forgetfulness and maximizes the imagination.

The background

In 2014, thanks to a number of patrons who supported the project, I published my first photo book DEAR NEIGHBOR, a social x-ray of my neighbourhood "Mas Sauro" in the Collserola forest (a national park that surrounds Barcelona). By photographing and interviewing each one of my neighbours. I was actually trying to understand who I am through the people that surround me, in the plart of the world I had chosen to live in. There is a strong link between the two projects: the search for identity.

In FARAWAY SO CLOSE I'm wondering who I am, but this time through my experience of fatherhood, and my childhood memories. It is about memory and origins, but also about the passing of time, and the physical and spiritual nature of life.

This is definitely a more abstract project, in which I investigate the poetic possibilities of photographic language, so I am working on a very different level. And despite being maybe more difficult to understand, I believe its mystery is precisely its appeal.

The international career

In mid-2015, I began to post pictures from FARAWAY SO CLOSE online and submit them to competitions and festivals. These are some of the international awards it has won since:

PHOTOGENIC Festival - Best Emerging Photographer (Spain)

NEXOFOTO, Ibero-American Photography Contest - Honorable Mention, Best Five Photographers (Chile)

ESPY Photoaward - Finalist, Best 40 Photographers (UK)

PMMUSEUM, Photographic Museum of Humanity - Photographer of the Day (USA)

ATHENS Photo Festival - Finalist (Greece)

BIPA, Barcelona International Photography Award (ValidFoto and LensCulture) - Finalist, Best 50 Photographers (Spain)

DOCFIELD Dummy Award - Selected (Spain)

Part of the work has also been exhibited in galleries in the UK, Chile and Spain.

What will the book look like?

This will be a photographic book measuring about 8x12", a unique object in a limited edition of 400 numbered and signed copies. It will have about 70 pages printed in offset with high quality paper including:

  • 35 black and white photographs (approx.).

  • Edition by curator Silvia Omedes.

  • Design by Inés Casals.

In the last six months I have produced 3 different models of the book, in in a search to find the format that best enhances the nature of the work (size, binding, paper, finishing, cover, sequencing, etc.). Here are two images of the third one, which is undoubtedly the one that comes closest to what the final book will look like.

What will then money be used for?

All the contributions will cover the costs of designing and printing the book.

When will you have the book in your hands?

We are currently designing the book. Our intention is to go to press in April 2016 and make the deliveries in May.

Why participate in the project? 10 reasons ...

1 - Because helping to make the dream of another person come true fills you with satisfaction.

2 - Because there will be only 400 copies of this book in the world, and one of them will be yours.

3 - Because books accompany us our whole lives.

4 - Because I still believe that with enthusiasm and work, any dream can become true.

5 - Because we are surrounded by noise, and it is increasingly necessary to raise a voice in defense of the poetic and the pursuit of beauty as essential food for the soul.

6 - Because limits are only mental barriers we create ourselves.

7 - Because we need to establish personal relationships, on a one-to-one basis, and uniting dreams collectively, we can go much further.

8 - Because maybe one day you will open the door of your house and find me there with your book in my hand. With my previous project DEAR NEIGHBOR, I decided to deliver many of the books personally, and I'll never forget the look of surprise and joy on each one of those peoples faces...

9 – Because I got to meet a lot of interesting people, and the process made me feel very loved. And as the song says: "Everyone gives what they receive and then gets what they give."

10 - Because I assure you that the experience of becoming patrons and being part of the process of creating and producing a book is amazing!

**With your contribution you can make my second book a reality...

Thank you for supporting and sharing my project!

Together we will succeed!!! **

You can see a selection of images on my website: www.alexllovet.com

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5 comments

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  • Carmen Alvarez

    Carmen Alvarez

    almost 8 years

    Hola Alex, soy Carmen Cecilia Alvarez, hoy fui a recoger el libro que me has mandado pero no me lo dan porque viene a mi nombre completo, pero en el carnet solo tengo Carmen. Podrías ponerte en contacto conmigo para pedir mandes un fax a correos.

  • Alex Llovet

    Alex Llovet
    Author

    almost 8 years

    Hola,

    Buena pregunta!

    Será un libro estrictamente fotográfico.

    No quiero que su interpretación se vea condicionada por un texto...

    Así que en este caso, las imágenes hablarán por si solas!

    Un saludo.

  • Marco

    Marco

    about 8 years

    Hola Alex, mi pregunta es si habrá algún tipo de texto que acompañe al trabajo visual, y en ese caso de que tipo será.

    Gracias y mucha suerte!

  • Alex Llovet

    Alex Llovet
    Author

    about 8 years

    Hi,

    There is no problem!

    I've checked the price of the shipment, and it would cost me 15€.

    As there is no particular pledge option for such a shipment, you could pledge the 30€ option (1 book with shipment to Spain) + the 10 € option (4 postcards), making a total of 40€.

    And I would then be very happy to send you the book to Australia!

    Thanx very much!!!

  • manuel

    manuel

    about 8 years

    Will you ship to Australia.

    Gracias y saludos

#08 / ¡ENVÍOS REALIZADOS!

Hola a tod@s!

Solo quería comentaros que todos los libros, fotografías y postales han sido envíados. ¡De modo que en los próximos días tendríais que recibir vuestra recompensa!

Si la semana que viene aún no la tenéis, escribidme a través de Verkami y vemos lo que sucede.

De nuevo, ¡muchas gracias por ser mecenas de este proyecto tan especial para mi!

¡Espero que os guste el libro! Y por favor... ¡¡¡Contadme vuestras impresiones!!!

Un abrazo,

Alex.

#07 / DESDE LA IMPRENTA

Hola de nuevo.

Quería compartir con vosotros algunas imágenes que tomé en SYL, la imprenta donde estamos haciendo el libro... ¡muy pronto en vuestras manos!

Saludos, Alex.

#06 / PRESENTACIÓN DEL LIBRO Y EXPOSICIÓN

¡Hola a tod@s!

El viernes 6 de Mayo a las 19h presentaré el libro FARAWAY SO CLOSE en la Galería Víctor Lope de Barcelona (C/ Aribau 75). Me acompañarán Silvia Omedes (editora) e Inés Casals (diseñadora).

También inauguraremos la exposición del mismo trabajo que permanecerá en la galería durante tres semanas.

Los mecenas que optasteis por la recogida del libro podréis hacerlo en la misma galería ese día, o mientras dure la exposición.

Será un día muy, muy especial para mi. Y me encantaría romper con la distancia que nos separa en la red, y compartirlo con todos vosotros en persona...

¡Un fuerte abrazo!

Alex

#05 / CONVERSACIONES CONMIGO MISMO

Hola a tod@s!

Solo faltan 24 horas para finalizar esta campaña. Ya hace unos días que conseguimos el objetivo y ¡ayer llegamos a los 100 mecenas! De nuevo, ¡¡¡Gracias!!!

Hoy quería enseñaros una de esas cosas que anotas en tu cuaderno personal para ordenar las ideas, una parte más del proceso creativo que te ayuda a avanzar pero está destinada a permanecer en la sombra. No obstante, tras recibir numerosos mensajes preguntándome sobre diversos aspectos de este trabajo hace unas semanas pensé que sería divertido responder haciendo público este documento tan personal, y lo publiqué en mi página web. Se trata de una entrevista que me hice a mi mismo hace unos meses y que ayuda a descifrar ciertos aspectos de Faraway so close... ¡Espero que me perdonéis este ejercicio un tanto egocéntrico!

¿De qué trata tu nuevo trabajo “Faraway so close”?
“Faraway so close”… read more

#04 / ¡¡¡GRACIAS!!!

Hola queridos mecenas,

Estoy muy contento de explicaros que ¡AYER CUMPLIMOS EL OBJETIVO!

Gracias a la confianza y al apoyo de todos y cada uno de vosotros, ¡lo hemos conseguido!

Entre todos habéis logrado que el libro Faraway so close vea la luz... y yo no tengo más que palabras de agradecimiento.

Muy pronto os explicaré detalles sobre la presentación y entrega de los libros, que tendrá lugar a principios de mayo en una galería de Barcelona.

Ahora estamos cerrando el diseño y en breve entraremos en imprenta, así que de momento vamos cumpliendo con el calendario previsto.

De nuevo ¡¡¡gracias, gracias, gracias!!!

Os envío un fuerte abrazo,

Alex.

#03 / EDICIÓN Y DISEÑO

¡Hola a tod@s!

En la creación de un fotolibro, además del autor (fotógrafo), existen otras dos figuras absolutamente imprescindibles: el editor y el diseñador.

En el caso de FARAWAY SO CLOSE, se trata de dos mujeres que aportan tanto su experiencia profesional como su sensibilidad, y quería compartir con vosotros unas imágenes de sus respectivas mesas de trabajo.

La primera pertenece a la tercera sesión de edición realizada con Silvia Omedes, editora de FSC, en la sede de la Fundación Photographic Social Vision. Estamos escogiendo y descartando imágenes, o como decía hace un tiempo, jugando a ser dioses en este pequeño universo...

La segunda es en el estudio de Inés Casals, diseñadora del libro. En ella aparecen un par de maquetas del mismo con diferentes tamaños, y unas pruebas de color para la introducción y el epílogo.

Solo falta una semana para acabar la campaña de Verkami, y aunque aún necesitamos un empujoncito final, ¡estoy seguro de que entre todos lo conseguiremos!

read more

#02 / FSC en EL PERIÓDICO

Hola de nuevo,

Me alegra mucho explicaros que hoy EL PERIÓDICO publica un excelente artículo de Carles Cols presentando FARAWAY SO CLOSE.

Y aquí os dejo el link para leerlo en su versión digital.

¡¡¡Seguimooosss!!!

#01 / FSC en Radio4

Hola a tod@s!

Quiero inaugurar este blog dando las gracias a los más de 50 mecenas que ya formais parte de esta nueva aventura... ¡¡¡Gracias!!!
¡Habeis conseguido que lleguemos al 50% del objetivo en una semana!

Os dejo un link al podcast de la entrevista que me hicieron ayer en Radio4, donde desvelé algunos aspectos de Faraway so close:

FSC en Radio4

¡Seguimos!

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