Francisco Gonzalez Camacho
MW : Can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do?
FGC : I am a Spanish visual artist currently based in Finland finishing a MA in Photography at Aalto University. I consider myself primarily a photographer, even on the recent years I am leaning more towards a broader approach through material experimentation and a variety of traditional printing techniques.
MW : How did your interest in art begin?
FGC : My first interest in art manifested early on in childhood through appreciation of music, but it wasn’t until later on when I found in photography a better way to express myself. I am the only artist of my family, but my father had some rangefinder and camcorder, which I liked to experiment with until I got my first camera.
MW : Can you talk a bit about your photography background in relation to printmaking, and the print-based processes you employ?
FGC : My background is in documentary and street photography, it wasn’t until the last 4 years when I have transitioned into fine art and a more experimental approach. I am now more interested in the printing side, photography and its quality as an object, rather than the picture-making side of it. I have worked with techniques like photopolymer etching, paper making, cyanotype and liquid emulsion, currently looking into exploring new techniques and handmade materials.
“Reverting reflects upon the profound material connection between the landscape and image-making, exploring environmental issues and the objectification of nature in Iceland. Developed in Reykjavík with the SIM artist-in-residence program, this project merges photography and printmaking through material experimentation, seeking alternative ways to engage with the landscape.
Issues like gentrification, waste, and environmental degradation, largely driven by tourism, challenge the idealized image of Iceland’s natural beauty. During my stay, I photographed highly visited natural locations, which I reinterpreted in combination with the creation of my own handmade recycled paper from waste.
This exploration mirrors the transformative process of manifesting something from the void —a form of alchemy of waste— with the delicate equilibrium of our environment, and the perpetual cycle it follows.” FGC
2 Vik, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
3 Diamond, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
4 Through, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
5 Reverting, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
6 Reborn, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
7 Reynisfjara, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
8 Do(I)ce, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
9 Bleeding, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
10 Lull, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
11 Svartur, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in
12 Diced, 2024, pigment print on handmade recycled paper from waste, 9.84 × 12.99 in