San Sebastian native, José Javier Serrano, AKA Yosigo, is one of those sharp-eyed photographers who ceaselessly observes our everyday lives. He is a prolific and tireless artist who essentially works with film and has already published several books, “Greetings From” devoted to mass tourism in the Mediterranean, and “Riu Avall”, a mix of snapshots, still lives and portraits where an apparent ordinariness becomes cinematographic. His images have undeniable aesthetic force and are the result of careful compositions where the light is almost a character of its own life. He also dissects his own world, his apartment becoming the subject of a series on its own, “Mare de Deu“, entirely shot on traditional rolls of film. An enlightened and inspired photographer and an artist to watch.
More about Yosigo here.
Yosigo, what’s your story?
I’m a Basque living in Barcelona.
How did you get started in photography?
I discovered photography when I was studying graphic design. We spent an incredible amount of time glued to computer screens and I needed to get out and about. In the end, photography was the escape route that became my work.
Why this name?
It comes from a poem that my father wrote for my 24th birthday: it means something like “go forth”.
What type of project are you working on at the moment?
I like projects where people are the main protagonists and where they do things that attract my attention. Over the last few years, I’ve been working on projects that gravitate around travel, tourism and theme parks.
If you had to define it, how would you describe your style?
It’s hard to describe oneself, but if I had to sum it up, I’d say that anything related to light fascinates me.
These days digital has become the norm, why choose to work with traditional film?
Because it’s totally impossible to get the same results and, for me, the entire process is very important. To take fifty photos in order to get one good one, or to work, looking for a backdrop, the perfect moment, developing the film, making the prints… I almost like that more than the final result!
What equipment do you use?
The camera I take with me every day is a Muji with a 35 mm film. It’s tiny and so I can have it with me all the time.
How did your graphic design studies influence your work as a photographer?
I suppose it unconsciously affects the way I compose an image or edit a book.
What inspires you?
Still and always, the light. The possibilities are infinite. Otherwise, I really like the photographer Stephen Shore and the work of my designer friends Querida.Si. and Estudio Primo.
Is there an object that you dream of acquiring?
Any ceramic that pleases me. I love buying bowls and little vases to decorate the house and to display my plants.
What projects have you got in the pipeline?
I’ve always got an idea in mind. At the moment, I’m taking lots of photos of my daily life, like a personal journal. I don’t know what I’ll do with them yet, watch this space!
Credits: Eve Campestrini – Translation: Textmaster @thesocialitefamily
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