Fundació Vila Casas has organized this exhibition as part of the celebration of the centenary of Francesc Català-Roca; an important initiative because the photographer’s skill as a portraitist has not been sufficiently recognized.
The series which leads the exhibition consists of fifty-eight portraits made between 1949 and 1975, along with his famous self-portrait. It is a singular, unique set that Català-Roca gave to Joan Uriach i Trey as a complement to his art collection, in which most of these artists were featured. Years later, his son Joan Uriach i Marsal donated it to his friend Antoni Vila Casas. This gesture was not simply an expression of friendship but of a common interest between collectors, as it came about when he understood that the portraits would be more greatly appreciated if they were included in the prestigious photography collection being compiled by Fundació Vila Casas.
We have entitled this set “Homenots”, in a passing nod to Josep Pla, with whom Català-Roca collaborated in the creation of guides and books. Pla coined this term for his sixty profiles of personalities from his time, written between 1958 and 1974, who were mostly authors, artists and politicians, chosen for their peculiarity or for being significant in remarkable ways. As a complement to this gallery of notable people, the exhibition features an additional fifteen portraits of children, entitled using the diminutive “Homenets”: on a small scale, they reflect a Spain darkened by the dictatorship, the common people distanced from power, politics, science and culture. These small workers go about their business as if it were a game, just like the other children playing in the street or eating ice creams. They exude humanity and tenderness, sharing the risk of living, the dangers and threats of the adults’ lives: they are the “homenets” counterposed with the “homenots”.
Laura Terré – Curator of Català-Roca Year