© Francesc Català-Roca, ca. 1950-55, Gitanilla, Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain
Spanish photographer Francesc Català-Roca entered his father’s (Pere Català Pic, one of the main representatives of the Catalan photographic avant-garde) studio at the age of 13.
After the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) he travelled around the Iberian peninsula taking photographs. The difficult post-civil war period was reflected in his images, although they were not without tenderness, poetry and humour. The documentary potential of his images linked his work to the trend of ‘new realism’ in photography, which had begun in Germany.
In 1947 he opened his own studio in Barcelona, where he worked on industrial and commercial commissions. In 1948, Català-Roca began working independently as a photojournalist for magazines such as “Destino” and “Revista. His work dealt with a variety of themes, from landscapes to cityscapes, from artistic documentation to ethnography. (+)
Català-Roca died today 15 years ago today. May his soul rest in peace.