JOAN RABASCAL (SPAIN / FRANCE) MY COLLECTION ORGANIZED BY THE FRENCH INSTITUTE OF THESSALONIKI 24/2 - 11/3 1998 EIRMOS GALLERY NIKIS AV 17 / 222-863 MO - FRI 11.00 - 13.30, 18.30 - 21.30 SA 11.00 - 13.30 Here, in a few lines, is the story of how and why I came to photograph my collection; and, to begin with, I must say that the photographic image has always been my constant companion, like a twin reality at once near and distant. My camera (which I take everywhere with me, like literary types with their notebooks or journals) has helped me retain the images of cities I have loved ... and faces as well ... and of course mark the advance of satellite dishes over traditional television antennas, even though I knew perfectly well which was going to win. So here I am, ridiculous reporter of a handful of battles, on the road to urban archaeology captured on film. In the past, photomontages of an assortment of small objects was something I did, and I had kept what was left of my material on a shelf in a corner of my studio. The assemblage included a number of television set pencil sharpeners from the days before ball-points became ubiquitous, souvenirs of Paris sporting the Eiffel Tower, that sort of thing; then, as I travelled, I found more such items to add to them, and slowly, very slowly, my collection started to grow, and then to grow a little faster as my friends and their travels began to contribute. For twenty-five years I watched my collection grow and fill out with miniature television sets from the five continents. With their bright colours they took up their position in my studio, the place where I live and work and have my being, and since then my favourite pastime has been to give them names, or nicknames, until one day at the end of last year I realised that I had found all their definitive appellations and there was nothing left for me to do but photograph them. Joan Rabascall January 1997 Born in Barcelona in 1935, Joan Rabascall studied at the Higher School of Decorative Arts in Barcelona and at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris (1962/63). He has been living in Paris since 1962, and regularly shows his work both there and in various cities in Europe, Asia and America.