Photo by Oscar Moreno
This week (the final week of April, 2022) I have experienced one of the most exciting moments of my entire artistic life. Let me tell you a little about it:
Back in December 2021 I received a text from the team of “Detrás Del Instante” (Behind the Instant), a documentary program on La2 of Spanish Television, which in each 30-minute chapter contextualizes one of the most iconic photos of a great name in photography in Spain, and afterwards tells their biography and work to preserve for posterity. I got an invite to be a part of the third season and the opportunity, as a pioneer in the genre since 2008, to finally bring the rise of mobile photography to the show. Needless to say, I felt a little intimidated (how could I not be, with the huge names that had appeared in those 26 episodes of the first two seasons!?), but I said yes immediately, especially for the opportunity to be able to to be a spokesperson for the message that mobile photography has been here for years and that it deserves its place at the table, even though there are those who have always ridiculed it. My resume in it is proof that with effort, love and a little luck, very interesting doors can be opened.
The team at REC Produccions and “Detrás del Instante” with whom I have dealt (Esperanza Escribano, Jordi Rovira, Oscar Moreno and Xavier Baig) were wonderful throughout the process. From the meeting to have a pre-script talk, to the production. In January they came to my house and for 6 hours they left my living room more beautiful than ever, they interviewed me and made sure that everything that deserved to be said was recorded. I was able to check their great professionalism also in the whole following process. From seeing the amount of historical video archive material and previous material of mine that they had compiled in order to have a diverse edition, to them checking in with me often during the editing process to make sure all the chronology was correct. For my part, at that moment I had to immerse myself first in my photographic archives of work and artistic photography, and then fly from Barcelona to Mallorca to dive into family albums and discover to my astonishment photos that I thought had been missing for years. To say that the feeling of emotional déja vú seeing your work and personal lives side by side was a whirlwind for weeks is an understatement. After organizing all the material as best as possible, I gave the REC team a hard drive with more than 1500 images and for weeks they edited all of it until they got a 30 minute episode that has been simply wonderful.
To the professionals who make “Detrás del Instante”, you are one of the most hard working and friendly team I have ever seen. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love you have given me to my biography and work in this episode that I am so proud of. You have brought out the best of me on screen and told a human and natural story about creating, and dreams fulfilled. Of course, the chapter would not be the same without the wonderful voice of the program’s great narrator (Nuria Santos), and the great contributions of Anna Roigé from the La Panera Art Center in Lleida and the expert professor and photographer Rafa Badia. They have left me speechless with their take on my work. Many thanks to both of them and to TVE’s La2 for opening their programming to such a special program for the history of Photography in Spain, especially now at a time when the long-awaited project of the National Photography Center has finally been approved to preserve our history in pictures.
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Photo by Oscar Moreno
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Photo by Anton Kawasaki
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It is a total happiness to be able to have the privilege of being celebrated and seeing your life flash before your eyes without having to die for it. On the contrary, I have been able to enjoy it and share it with my family, friends and the many people who have discovered me thanks to the episode. It has also been incredible to recover “The Kiss“, my most special photograph, taken in Times Square (New York) the night of Barack Obama’s historic first electoral victory in November 2008. It is a photo that was not only iconic in a general sense , but in my personal case it sparked my career in the photographic world. Many thanks to Stephanie and Andrew, the couple in my image, who although they separated years ago, will always be part of my story and my life.
I want to especially thank, in addition to “Detrás del Instante”, my husband Anton Kawasaki because without him in my path there would have been neither New York nor #MobilePhotography for me, and everything that came after. What an honor to be able to see our story together on screen, celebrated, and to be able to speak openly about my life on national television. For the Sion who lost his youth in fear and being locked in the closet until he was 26, this triumph is for you.
And heartfelt thanks also to my family and friends and to everyone who has written to me with so much love and support after the broadcast of “Detrás Del Instante”. You don’t know how much I like reading from you that you have connected with my work, my story and my person. Hopefully I can continue telling you many more accomplishments for years and years.
For those who haven’t seen the episode yet, or if you want to revisit some of the moments, you can find it here.