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Catá, David (1988)

Embroidery on the palm of his hand, by David Cata. Embroidery on the palm of his hand, by David Cata.

David Catá is a Spanish artist who uses his own body as the ground material for embroidery. Catá studied Fine Arts (B.A.) at Vigo University, Pontevedra, and then in 2010 photography at Madrid’s EFTI. He has won or been cited for various art and photography prizes between 2010 and 2013.

In 2014 Catá started a series of portraits called A Flor de Piel. This series consists of portraits of people (family, friends, lovers, teachers, etc) who have influenced his life in some manner being stitched onto his palms. According to his website, this form of temporary recording evocates the power of personal objects and that:

"The evocation power of personal objects and pictures of his family album are his inspiration. Through them, he makes a reflection about time, memory and ways to delay the oblivion’s process by using ephemeral elements, such as ice, thread, dandelions, salt…  Sometimes, his own body turns into the canvas of his artistic experience. The sewn and fissures done over his skin are a metaphor of the permanent symbiosis between the passage of time and the oblivion. His work aims to the past time’s preservation through the memorial, corporal, photographic and videographic prints. His work goes beyond an esthetic quest. Every people we meet marks us in some way. Their image projects on us, reminding us where we come from. Their lives turn into a part of ours. Every stitch over my skin represent them, physical pain is not a boundary, it unites us more by thinking that my hand has been marked on an affective act, by thinking that, at that time, my hand has touched their hand."

Photographs of these images are available for viewing at his website http://davidcata.com/ and http://davidcata.com/statement/  

Digital sources:

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 3 March 2017).

GVE

Last modified on Friday, 03 March 2017 20:47