Barcelona 1932

Dora Maar captured this photograph in Barcelona, though we are unsure when. I imagine Dora Maar wandering around Barcelona, looking up at the buildings, pausing, framing, and capturing it with her camera. This photograph captures an exterior wall with a window mannequin, with layers of meaning and observation. What was she thinking when she captured this strange view? There’s the odd placement of the mannequin in the window, juxtaposed against the peeling posters and dilapidated building. Maar may have wanted to focus on the juxtaposition of the building's decay with the artificiality of the mannequin, or perhaps she was commenting on social and political tensions of the time. Thinking about how the photo relates to her wider practice, I can imagine Maar's eye for capturing surreal moments. Perhaps she was in conversation with other photographers like Brassai or Atget. Each artist responds to the world around them, capturing their unique perspective. Artists are always influencing each other, building on ideas.