Rafa Zubiria

from the series "No Way Home"

from the series "No Way Home"

from the series "No Way Home"

from the series "No Way Home"

 Rafa Zubiria is a photographer, collagist and videographer in Spain. This particular series of images called is "No Way Home". According to the artist the series represents that point in life when you realizes that, what you always thought of as home is no longer your home. There is a break with the past that cannot be recovered. With this break comes a sense of loss and the distortion of nostalgia. These deceptively simple photoshop montages capture the mood exquisitely. The background shots carefully recreate the artless imperfection of the random snapshot and the buildings are photographed in matching light. The final is given the look of an old color print from some corner photomat. But for me personally, the "You can't go home again" interpretation is somewhat limiting. The images work beyond this straightforward narrative, juxtaposing both nostalgia and sentimentality with mystery and wonder. They remind me especially of supposed UFO photography before digital cameras. But while those old photos purported to give evidence of technological alien marvels, the mystery here is the mundane. Out of context everything around us could be perceived with awe and wonder. And that my friends, is art.
  You can see other images from this series plus much much more at www.rafazubiria.es (the website is in spanish) or on his Flickr page.

 and here's an intriguing 10 second clip of some related video work. More please, Mr. Zubiria!