With just 12 photographs, this exhibition in Madrid manages to capture the essence of 1960s Spain. You can see children playing in the street, English tourists on the Costa Brava, and advertisements for iconic brands such as Pepsi-Cola, a perfect reflection of a country trying to modernize.
Oriol Maspons is the author of the images and the protagonist of the exhibition, which bears his name and can be visited at the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts (Calle Alcalá, 13) until April 12, 2026.
A time of change
Photographs from the exhibition. | Editorial credit: San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts
Throughout his career, Maspons left behind a large number of photographs and worked in specialized magazines,fashion, advertising , and even album covers. He trained in Catalonia, his native land, and in the 1950s he traveled to Paris, where he met great figures such as Robert Doisneau and Cartier Bresson.
When he returned to Spain in 1956, he decided to make photography his profession and devoted himself to portraying a country that still maintained its traditions but was undergoing a process of modernization and opening up.
As essayist Lluis Permayerwrites in one of his books, “in Maspons’ work , two very different worlds coexist quite naturally : the friendly and mundane with the surreal and reprehensible.”
Books, magazines, and records
Album by Los Xey and photograph by Oriol Maspons. | Editorial credit: San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts
In addition to the photographs, the exhibition includes several display cases where you can see part of Oriol Maspons’ work in the cultural and recording industry. The material comes from the collection of Pedro Melero and Marisa Llorente and shows the wide circulation of his images.
He designed covers for the publishers Seix Barral and Lumen, collaborating with great writers. His vision of the world was accompanied by texts by Miguel Delibes, Camilo José Cela, and Federico García Lorca, among others. He also illustrated novels such as Tiempo de silencio by Luis Martín-Santos and Últimas tardes con Teresa by Juan Marsé.
In the field of music, Oriol Maspons designed covers for popular groups such as Nova Cançó, Raimon, and Los Xey, among others. His versatility allowed him to be part of the artistic, intellectual, and popular culture scene, achieving a significant presence in the country.
In 2020, the National Art Museum of Catalonia dedicated an extraordinary exhibition to him entitled La fotografía útil(Useful Photography), which brought together his most significant works. Now, Oriol Maspons’ legacy comes to Madrid with this exhibition at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.