Although the landscape around the historical mining town of Banská Štiavnica in central Slovakia looks very different from Catalan photographer Txema Salvans’s homeland, it shares a theme central to his work: human transformation and redevelopment of the environment.
This summer, Salvans was one of 15 photographers featured at the second edition of the Paradajs Photo Fest in Banská Štiavnica. His series Perfect Day depicts people at leisure in degraded settings - beaches overshadowed by factories and construction expose the surreal banality and paradox of these fleeting ‘paradises’.
Txema Salvans
b. 1971, Barcelona.
Spanish photographer.
Studied biology before shifting to photography.
Explores the intersection of leisure, landscape, and human impact on the environment.
Style & approach:
Observational, highlighting paradoxes of modern life.
Captures people seeking escape in degraded or developed spaces.
Notable works:
The Waiting Game (photobook).
Perfect Day (photobook).
Themes: Strange beauty, irony, and everyday Mediterranean coastal scenes.
Working method: Uses a large-format camera and a van for travel, living, and independent work.
“My images appear to depict a perfect day because it’s a free day, but the underlying message is how strange our life is that we decide to spend our free time in these specific, often strange, locations,” said Salvans.
Salvans talked with The Slovak Spectator about how he got into photography, the Perfect Day project, and the role of a photographer in a world saturated with images.
What was the inspiration for Perfect Day?
I previously studied biology as I was always very interested in science, ecology, and dinosaurs. I do not come from the arts world where one might first conceive a concept and then seek out pictures. I work very intuitively.
Photography fitted with my psychological makeup, allowing me to remain alone, which is my natural state, and be very contemplative – just sitting and looking at people. The idea to do work about leisure – how people spend their free time – is practical. The people are already there; you don’t need special access like you would if you were photographing war or a celebrity. This allows me to be a photographer every day.
Perfect Day is part of a very long-term project that I have been working on for about 15 years. During that time I have also been working on several other projects, including The Waiting Game, which has resulted in three books. All the work for Perfect Day was completed along the Mediterranean coast.
Read in this interview:
How did the large-format camera affect composition?
Why did he decide not to depict the Mediterranean Sea in the Perfect Day project?
Why does he think humans are strange animals?
What does he see as the role of a photographer in a world saturated with images?
What other projects is he working on?
Your methodology for Perfect Day is defined by specific technical choices. Can you explain in more detail?
