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The photographer Robert Frank, a tourist from Madrid

Robert Frank (Zurich, 1924) has just received the Award PhotoEspaña 2007, the year that this event meets its tenth anniversary. But he is eighty-two years and suffers from no longer has the same interest in photography when faced his most famous series, and more revolutionary, "Americans", or took the leap to independent film, whose first steps are to account it and other names and classics such as John Cassavetes. He does not like the word pioneer, or even place it within the golden age of American photography by Diane Arbus, Walker Evans and Richard Avedon, among others, who in 1975 made him a portrait a hat in his hand.

Today is also presented with a hat in his hand. Genius and figure. Those were glorious times for the creation - 'originality precedence above all, "he recalls," but of crisis and rapid responses, which caught the road and not stop until just gasoline, which the camera did not capture complex one with an innovative and speed of reflexes. "Intuition, smell, and these were the key skills are lost over the years. Why could not return to a series such as "Americans" at the moment. "I'm not interested. Not much work. I do not want to repeat what I have done, "he said.

But deep down, is still at the bottom of the barrel, then came to Madrid with a small camera in your pocket saved a Russian model, whose brand name does not answer or know of a primitive sobriety, and almost forgotten, that attends or not want to attend the holy sign of the pixels and other zarandajas techniques. It is not even a Polaroid of those with whom he has seen so much: the button is pressed and see the results instantly, perhaps that intuition is not escape or one tenth of a second.

This camera is a rudimentary letter that does not hesitate to show some pride when they talk. It's relaxing and I ask him about the current democratization of the photograph. That is, for this tourist-artist in all of us since it was invented digital cameras and mobile phones. "I have never used digital cameras or anything like that-pointing. I walk with this model for almost primitive Madrid these days and portrait architecture, the light of this wonderful city. "

Also remember that it is not his first stay in Spain: In the fifties was in Valencia and Barcelona went to Seville. Those pictures have never seen the light. People at that time did not have much interest in seeing them. " And never going to teach? "Maybe, but I do not know. Someone could publish a book next year. " These words sound like a dream or impossible. There are in the air.

Via ABC.es

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