Fran Marti
Biography
Self-taught like many others who share his passion, Martí completed his education in photography at various schools in Barcelona, Madrid and Paris. Currently settled in his home city, this Barcelona-born photographer has journeyed around the world and has been especially active in Asia and Africa. Following various photographic journeys in the north and south of the American Continent, in addition to a number of Asian countries and indeed European countries too, his relationship with Africa began in Kenya in 2007.
Since then, work on his project has taken him to Ethiopia on various occasions as well as to Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Gambia, the Republic of South Africa and Botswana. He has been able to count on the cooperation provided by the Bushmen, the Mursi, the Himba, the Masai, the Hamer and other indigenous tribes.
Fruit of his work is a traveling exhibition titled Ethiopia Between Dream and Reality, a book published under the same name that has been awarded "Best Digital Printing 2014" by the Guild of Graphic Arts and Communication Industry of Catalonia and his current series Animal.
Fran is closely involved in cooperation projects and 10% of his sales will be used to help fund the extension of the Jarren hospital in Gambia.Elephants, rhinoceros, elands, cheetahs, leopards, wild African dogs, giraffes, baboons, warthogs, gibbons, gnus, zebras, antelopes, lions, water buffaloes, hippopotamuses, flamingos, sea lions, hyenas and salt water crocodiles are some of the animals Martí has photographed.
Fran Martí: “It is very difficult to get close to or even encounter wild animals. To know their habitat and terrain are two additional qualities the photographer must possess. When photographing African wildlife, it is not only a mastering of the photographic technique that counts. A true wildlife photographer carefully studies each species prior to going out in the field. Generally a wildlife photographer is a convinced conservationist and for this reason would never risk the well-being of an animal just to obtain the perfect shot. Wildlife photographers tend to have an irresistible urge to capture dangerous animals on film, however in order to do so, it is necessary to be well informed and behave in a responsible manner. If you are after photographs of African animals in their natural habitat, you must never forget the reason why these creatures are called wildlife."
PACIENCE, HEARING AND BOTH EYES WIDE OPEN
This kind of photography requires infinite patience. For Martí, the best way of seeing wild animals is to let them approach you. Hearing is the sense that Fran uses most of all when trying to locate fauna. He learnt to fine-tune his hearing to pick up any sound that tells him the species he is tracking is near: the snap of a branch, a call to another member of the same species...The advice Fran can suggest is to photograph with both eyes wide open. “Capturing the moment that will render the desired image is a very fast process, and therefore keeping both eyes open may help to anticipate an imminent scene. In addition, it will keep us more on guard against dangerous species."
EXHIBITIONS
- Trier University, Idar-Oberstein, Germany, April-May 2013
- Greenpoint Gallery, NYC, USA, December 2013
- Galeria OUT OF AFRICA, Sitges (Barcelona), Spain, February-March 2014
- ART LIBRIS, Barcelona, Spain, April 2014
- Galerie a la Riviere, PARIS PHOTO, Paris, France, November 2014
- SCAN, Tarragona, Spain, October-December 2014
- Espacio PABLO TORRE, Madrid, Spain, February-March 2015
- FINEART, Igualada (Barcelona), Spain, March 2015
- Museu de la Vida Rural (L’Espluga de Francoli), Spain, April-May 2015
- ARTS LIBRIS, Barcelona, Spain, April 2015
- BO-KAO, Ibiza, Spain, August 2015
- MACO FOTO, México D.F., September 2015
- Casa degli Italiani, Barcelona, Spain, October 2015
- MONDO Galería, Madrid, Spain, December 2015
- Galeria OUT OF AFRICA, Sitges (Barcelona), Spain, February-March 2016
- C.E.R.N., Geneva, Switzerland, June 2016
Available artworks
