■ یو جینی پونز-معمار بخش عمومی

Eugeni Pons



Born in Barcelona,
1-22-64.

My interest in photography began when I was thirteen;
then I got my first serious camera, a Canon AE-1. Since that day I
took up experimental, architecture and landscape photography.

Licensed
in Philosophy, which I’ve studied in the UAB (Universitat Autònoma de
Barcelona), I coursed Photography in the same period in the IEFC for
over five years.

My professional career begins in 1992, when I
decided to mount an advertising photography studio with a school
colleague.

Ending 1995, we decided to go each one by our own, and
then I oriented myself towards my authentic matter of interest; the
architecture photography.

I went ahead with some works to try to
make a personal portfolio, and Casa Viva magazine bought some of
them. After that I received some orders from On Diseño, an
architecture and design magazine from the same publishers. This fact
lead me to the next step, allowing me to introduce myself to some of the
most successful and respected architects in Barcelona, which made
possible my first collaborations.

Winner of five LUX awards on
architecture photography, I’m collaborating at the moment with a wide
selection of Spanish and foreign publishers, architects, interior
designers, publicists, constructors and professionals in general.

The
magazines list includes Wallpaper, Architectural
Digest, Architectural Record, Architectural Review, A+U, Bauwelt,
Baumeister, C3 Korea, De architect, Oris, Frame, AiT, The Plan, Interni,
Abitare, Domus, L’Arca, Taschen Publishers, GG, Atrium, Raum &
Wohnen, Interior Design, La Repubblica delle donne, Arquitectura y
Diseño, Diseño Interior, On Diseño, Arquitectura Viva, El País Semanal,
La Vanguardia Magazine, El Periódico, and many more…

Monographic
exhibition at the Greek commercial hall in autumn of 2004.

Collaborator
in diverse architecture photography exhibitions, the last one in the
Barcelona COAC (Col.legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya), named Barcelona-Madrid.

Pre-selected
by the New York MOMA for ordering the photographic report of the
contents destined to On Site: New Architecture in Spain exhibition, in
winter of 2006.

In Focus: Eugeni Pons

Mar 27, 2010

Archinect: What is your relationship with
architecture? What drew you to architecture, as a photographer?

Eugeni
Pons: Thinking about it, I discover that my love story with
architecture began when I was a teenager; one of these days i was
walking around my home village with my Kodak Instamatic in the
northeastern coast of Catalonia, in Spain, and I experienced a sort of
/vision/; the sunset low light was painting in a magical way a very
popular castle, like an old king leading the landscape over the sea. I
took my camera, I shot, and when after some days I could see the print, I
felt like a baby experiencing the light for the first time.

Ironically,
years after that, even if I finally oriented my interest towards
photography -and Philosophy, at the same time-, I wasnt conscious about
how crucial the architecture would become since three years after my
first attempt, in which I decided
to specialize myself in advertising photography, along with another
photography student. That was in 1992. Finally, in 1995 I did what I
probably would have done from the beginning... (Thinking it right,
perhaps theres nothing by chance, nevertheless. ..).

↑
Click image to enlarge
Coulon & Ass., Music Conservatory in
Metz, France, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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Click image to enlarge
Coulon & Ass., Music Conservatory in
Metz, France, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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Click image to enlarge
Coulon & Ass., Music Conservatory in
Metz, France, Photography by Eugeni Pons

Describe
how you work... who are your clients?

EP: I strictly
dont need to get a background from the inhabitants of certain projects
(when were thinking mostly on houses...), even if a first approximation
along with the architect is always welcome. This allows me to
assimilate aspects of the project, which would finally drives me to a
sort of synthesis allowing the final photo come to reality.
Nevertheless, thats mostly a /solo/, an intimate process, beginning
when the bowels of the project are opening to me...

On the other
hand, my clients consist of architects, interior
designers, magazines, publishers in general, companies (construction
and furniture, mostly)...

↑
Click image to enlarge
P. Urquiola, Mandarin Oriental Hotel in
Barcelona, Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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Click image to enlarge
P. Urquiola, Mandarin Oriental Hotel in
Barcelona, Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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P. Urquiola, Mandarin Oriental Hotel in
Barcelona, Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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Oliva, Int. Designer, Colefruse Offices,
Photography by Eugeni Pons

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Click image to enlarge
Oliva, Int. Designer, Colefruse Offices,
Photography by Eugeni Pons

Do
you mostly work in a specific region? What is your travel schedule
like?

EP: I usually work in Spain, and occasionally in
other countries as France, Portugal, and Greece, for instance.
Fortunately, this is a powerful, great architecture area. Nevertheless,
as I love traveling all around, Ive shot several countries out there.

↑
Click image to enlarge
RCR Arch., Municipal Park in Begur,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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RCR Arch., Municipal Park in Begur,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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RCR Arch., Natural Area Baths Pavilion,
Photography by Eugeni Pons

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RCR Arch., Natural Park Info Center in
Olot, Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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RCR Arch., Primary School in Manlleu,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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RCR Arch., Private Wine Cellars in
Palamós, Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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RCR Arch., Private Wine Cellars in
Palamós, Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

What
is your goal when capturing buildings in photographs?

EP:
I like to think that, as some of my teachers told me once, the
history of culture shows us that every artwork borns from a reflection,
from the contemplation of a previous one.

↑
Click image to enlarge
Frank Gehry, Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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Ruisanchez Arch., Water Tower in a
Municipal Park, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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Colomer Arch., House in Vic, Spain,
Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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BAAS Arch., Mortuarys Chapel in Leon,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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Saloni Manufacturers, Floor Detail in a
Movie Theater, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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MMDM Arch., Parking in Terrassa,
Barcelona, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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Arribas Arch., Volvo Trucks Dealership in
Málaga, Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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Gelpí Arch., Machinery Manufacturer
Building in Barcelona, Spain, Photography by Eugeni
Pons

What are your thoughts about including
people in your photos? Is it important to photograph a building in use,
or by itself?

EP: In use or by itself...Both things.
Most of the times I shoot empty buildings, but depending on
circumstances. In general I like to introduce a presence/absence
dicotomy in a subtle, elegant way if possible; but this isnt condition
/sine qua non/.

↑
Click image to enlarge
Planas-Torres Arch., House on Ibiza
Island, Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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House on Ibiza Island, Spain, Photography
by Eugeni Pons

↑
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P. Cheikh Arch., House on Ibiza Island,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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P. Cheikh Arch., House on Ibiza Island,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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C. Patey Arch., House in Chambery,
France, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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Alvaró Bultó Arch., Country House,
Photography by Eugeni Pons

What
are your favorite pieces of equipment?

EP: Anything
that contributes to a new challenge.

Do you work alone?

EP:
I began working alone, but thats not the case nowadays. Working in
digital from 2005, capturing to the computer, my assistant allows me to
concentrate myself in /creative/ goals, while hes mainly pendant of
technical aspects.

↑
Click image to enlarge
ADC Arch., House on Menorca Island,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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Ensamble Studio. Antón García- Abril,
Hemeroscopium House, Madrid, Spain (previously featured in our ShowCase series),
Photography by Eugeni Pons

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Arenas Arch., House on Mallorca Island,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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A-Cero Arch, House in Madrid, Spain,
Photography by Eugeni Pons

↑
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Vicens&Ramos Arch., House in Madrid,
Spain, Photography by Eugeni Pons

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Vicens&Ramos Arch., Municipal
Building in La Mancha, Spain, Photography by Eugeni
Pons

How do you feel about seeing your
photographs on blogs and websites?