Beyond the Frame: A conversation with Jesús Ubera.
– by Pooja Shetty
Beyond the Frame: A conversation with Jesús Ubera.
Jesús Ubera is a master of visual storytelling and aesthetics. From honing his craft at the International Center of Photography in New York to earning accolades in London as an “Upcoming Photographer” and “Editorial Photographer of the Year,” Jesús’s artistic journey is inspirational. His unique style has left a lasting mark on global brands like Adidas and Phillips.
Six years ago, Jesus Ubera started sharing his love for fashion films at the Instituto Europe di Design in Madrid, teaching at the Master of Fashion and Communication. Pooja Shetty from GoCreator had the opportunity to interview Jesus and discover the layers of his creative work and process. GoCreator discussed his acclaimed solo exhibition and the passion fuelling his films and photography across Europe. He is now working on his first documentary film exploring social housing in a particular district of Brussels(where Jesus Ubera is currently based). The documentary discusses themes of immigration and the integration of people from various cultures and abilities. We at GoCreator are genuinely honoured to be interviewing him and see his exciting transition into the world of documentary filmmaking.
These are the excerpts from our conversation:
– Can you tell us about your journey into photography? What initially sparked your interest in this art form?
I loved photography even before I took pictures, I always looked at magazines and books. What triggered my interest to the core were the trend magazines from London and Los Angeles. I started in a casual way and since then I haven’t stopped studying and learning.
– Your early work, as featured in a 2000 Design Week interview, was heavily inspired by nightlife. Can you elaborate on how that phase of your career shaped your style and artistic vision?
I have always been fascinated by the different systems of evasion that we humans have. This ability we have to disconnect in order to connect better fascinates me. In the same way the trends that are created in the youth that almost always happen at night is and will be something that interests me to create.
– You came from Spain and were able to feature your work in established magazines like Design week, Dazed and confused, Vogue and many more. How did this happen? And any advice for newcomers seeking the same?
As I said before, photography connects me with the world and suddenly I was part of the world of trends that attracted and attracts me so much. Creating images and studying images is my life. I try not to get too obsessed, but I’m always thinking about images, my own and other people’s images. My path is one of curiosity, work, study and faith (understood as confidence in what I do and in what others do). I believe that this mixed with reflection on my own work and that of others is what I do and have done. It is also very important not to get too tired, life is long and things happen if they have to happen.
– With most magazines transitioning to an online twin, do you prefer print media or online? And how has this transition affected print media for an artist like you?
I am very happy with this change we are experiencing. I love everything online. I love social networks and all the new ways of disseminating images. We live in a much more collaborative and open to new ideas than before, this for me is the main change and it’s super positive.
– Today, it seems like you’re fascinated with movement and dance in your photography. What led to this shift in focus, and how does it reflect your current creative philosophy? What else shapes your philosophy these days and inspires you?
In some ways I am very interested in the new consciousness of embodiment that we have. That’s why bodies and how they move interest me so much.
I’m inspired by how the real is transformed into pixels when I create images, I’m interested in that duality of skin and pixel. In how we are fantasy and fascination. How we are able to adore myths that we create in order to keep dreaming and how we are losing the notion of what is real and what is fictitious. We are fundamentally emotion and we create it at the same time as we feel it. I am especially interested in how to create new ways of feeling from the fantasy that is reality.
– How has your upbringing and the people around you influenced your creative process and the themes you explore in your work?
Like bubbles, clouds, soap bubbles I live in constant interaction with many friends and artists from many countries and continents. I enjoy listening and discovering how other people face similar life situations as I do. I think a lot about how my friends would do the things I have to do. I like to think that I am able to feel and act like the people I admire.
– Are there any photographers or artists who have had a significant impact on your artistic development and continue to inspire you today?
There are so many from Todd Hido to Nan Goldin in Photography and many others. I love Painting from Velazquez to Caravaggio.
– You also work as a teacher. Can you share some of the most valuable lessons or advice you give to your students who are aspiring photographers?
I think we should look around, what is going on beyond what we are interested in. To look from the side. In constancy and curiosity wonderful things happen.
– Your transition into filmmaking is an interesting one. Could you describe how you made this shift and the role that filmmaking now plays in your creative expression?
Well I’ve always made videos but more and more it’s taking up more and more of my time and work. As I said before it has come without me looking for it, it has come as a force of curiosity. Anyway, my photos have always looked like stills from videos. That’s why for me it was just a question of having the time to be able to study more and dedicate more time to them.
– How do you balance the technical aspects of photography and filmmaking with your creative vision? Can you share any insights on finding this balance?
I am very interested in the technical side of image creation and use it as a creative source. In knowing what makes an image I find a universe. That’s why for me the digital is in itself a concept that triggers my imagination. As I say the study of the technical part and the semiotics of images is basic for me.
– Can you tell us a little bit about your documentary film and how you came across this topic?
My first documentary was commissioned by the Commune of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre in Brussels. In this district of Brussels there is a social housing designed 45 years ago for the integration of people with different abilities in mobility. In this ¨Cite” called “La Cité de la Amitié” live different cultures and people who need more or less help to move around on a daily basis.
Another big issue that interests me is how we can all live together in harmony. I met Christian Valenzuela and Gustavo Garrido in Brussels and they helped me to develop this idea.
– What inspired you to make a film on this topic?
In order to tackle such a subject, the first step was to get to know the people who lived this dream of integration and to learn about their difficulties and their solutions. It has been a slow and very enriching process for me, a small treasure.
– Did you face any specific challenges? Can you talk about your experiences while making the film?
Well, the first one is the language, I arrived in Brussels a year and a half ago without speaking French. Brussels is a place of confluence of cultures and this place could not be less. In these accommodations there is a mixture of cultures and vital interests, economic, religious, cultural… There are people of many origins and to understand a little what the different small communities that make up this place want has been a little difficult at the beginning and very special in the process.
– How do you anticipate the audience will react to this film, and what impact do you hope it will have?
For me the most important thing about this documentary is to be able to show how such a complex place can be an example for other places. I want to show the daily life of the people who live in the Cite and that other people in other situations and places in the world see themselves in one way or another reflected in these people and their dreams and that this somehow helps them to cope with their daily lives, or at least distracts them from their lives, to see that the world is always something else.
– In your opinion, what is the most powerful story or message that photography and filmmaking can convey to the world?
Photography and video create images from reality that look very much like reality itself. This small confusion creates other worlds within this one. In this way we can change a little bit the perception of reality that we have or that we are made to believe that we have. For me this is one of the main uses of images today. Little by little we create and dream of another world, freer, lighter and more fun, which in reality is already here and we are all in the process of making it.
– Can you talk about the challenges you are facing as an independent documentary filmmaker?
The advantages of working on a small scale can also be a difficulty. For me, getting the right amount of money for each project is always vital and sometimes difficult. For me to be able to connect with production companies or big platforms to be able to finance my projects is the part where I need more help and where I have to learn more.
– What did you personally learn or gain from creating this documentary?
In this particular project I had to solve many technical doubts in the recordings and above all in the planning. I think the latter is what I have learnt the most, the importance of anticipating the necessary hours for each part of the process. Both in recording and editing.
– In hindsight, is there anything you would have done differently in the filmmaking process?
In this particular project I have learned how important it is to be effective and to plan well in order to get as much as possible out of each recording day. Next time I will spend more time on the conceptualisation and planning process.
– Are there any upcoming projects or topics you are planning to explore in future documentaries?
I have been studying and creating video images for several years of how new generations explore and create a new world in this.
I am interested in that moment when young people still do not belong to this world where they have to be part of society.
I am very interested in how social networks are creating a world within this world. This is another of the topics that I want to work on in a documentary. The confusion on social media about what is real and what is fantasy fascinates me.
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