Retaguardia
Jesus Umbria Brito | Madrid, Spain
Photographer: Jesus Umbria Brito
Exhibit Title: Retaguardia
Location: Madrid, Spain
Some of the most powerful images of the 20th and 21st centuries emerged from the clash between gaze and otherness, in that interstitial space of encounter between the photographer and the communities that inhabit the margins. Retaguardia is part of that more underground tradition, establishing a stylistic bridge with the work of other photographers such as Bruce Davidson, Larry Clark and Mary Ellen Mark. Like them, the author asks himself: What does it mean to inhabit a subculture? How are identities forged on the edges of the norm? What is the role of photography in representing those who live outside the spotlight?
Retaguardia is a photographic project that dwells in the edges of mass society, in the periphery of the normative, in its penumbra. Far removed from dogma and convention, it unfolds a portrait of post-pandemic youth identified with the counterculture surrounding punk music and aesthetics: a mosaic of faces and expressions that seek each other in the mirror of the past to shape their present. From there, the author weaves a dialogue between times and generations.
Jesús Umbría Brito (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1971) is a photographer whose gaze not only observes, but also engages in dialogue with both the world and the passage of time. Connected to urban cultural life, he does not limit himself to narrating; rather, he inhabits the spaces he documents, creating an active complicity with his subjects. His photographs do not seek to tell stories, but to connect, forging intergenerational bridges and inviting the viewer to look and, at the same time, to be looked at. He is known for his skills as a portraitist and his deep exploration of the connections between past and present.
Committed to developing personal projects based on research, his work delves into the realities of those who live on cultural margins. Identity, gender, and diversity are the themes that run through his work, creating a visual narrative that gives voice to often invisible stories. Thus, his images not only capture moments but also reveal contexts and invite the viewer to interact with the invisible threads that intertwine our history with the legacy of the past.
Website / umbriabrito.com
Email / jesus@umbriabrito.com
Instagram / @milton_bananas
EDUCATION
Photo Editing and Visual Storytelling Course, Lens School. Madrid, Spain
Libro Libre Course, Antonio Xoubanova and Ricardo Cases. La Casa Encendida. Madrid, Spain
Master PHotoEspaña in Photography Projects, La Fábrica. Madrid, Spain
Narrative and Photobook Course, Elisa Miralles School. Madrid, Spain
Bachelor's Degree in Information Sciences. Valencia, Spain
WORKSHOPS
"The Book" Ruth van Beek. La Casa Encendida. Madrid, Spain
"Found Footage" Hans Gremmen. La Casa Encendida. Madrid, Spain
"The Image and the Expansive Archive", Penelope Umbrico. La Casa Encendida. Madrid, Spain
"Obradoiro", Sebastián Bruno. Fundación Luis Seoane. Coruña, Spain
"The Heart of an Image", David Jiménez. Madrid, Spain
"Absence as a Stimulus", Alberto García Alix. Madrid, Spain
"Sourdough", Juan Brenner. Canary Islands, Spain
AWARDS AND GRANTS
Gomma Photography Grant 2024, Winner Third Prize. London, United Kingdom
Chico Review 2025, Selected Artist. Montana, USA
Head On Festival 2024, Finalist. Sidney, Australia
Analog Sparks Awards 2024. Human/Culture Best New Talent, Winner.
Discoveries PHotoEspaña 2024 Portfolio Review, Selected. Santander, Spain
Star Photobook Dummy Award, Nominated. Barcelona, Spain
Encontros da Imagem 2024 Photobook Award, Selected. Braga, Portugal
Enaire Foundation's 2024 Photography Awards, Finalist. Madrid, Spain
EXHIBITIONS
"The Analog Sparks Best of Show 2024," House of Lucie. Ostuni, Italy
"The Analog Sparks Best of Show 2024," House of Lucie. Budapest, Hungary
"The Analog Sparks Best of Show 2024," House of Lucie. Athens, Greece
Proxeccións. Festival Ffoco 2024. Filmoteca de Galicia. A Coruña, Spain
"Transits: Photographs in a Global World". PhotoEspaña 2024. Centro de Arte Alcobendas. Madrid, Spain
Encontros Da Imagem 2024 Photobook Award. Braga, Portugal
ENAIRE Foundation's 2024 Photography Awards. Madrid Royal Botanical Gardens, Spain
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