O caleidoscópio do olhar sobre o espólio de José Marques

Abstract

Tracing part of the process trajectory of organizing and investigating the estate of photographer José Marques (1927-2012) through different narratives of “looking” over his archive is the objective of this text. A less formal approach was sought, and to some extent more poetic, but no less rigorous, for an analysis that goes beyond the movements of identification, classification, assembling hierarchies, understanding of contexts, adopted methodologies and choices made. The memory of this step by step elucidates its broad and eclectic thematic and documental universe. José Marques' photographic production is a set of keys for many doors, like the amulets he carried on his chest on a string. This text proposes, as a guiding thread, the movements of a kaleidoscopic look that exposes the methodological, theoretical and poetic “positioning” and “assemblies” for different reframings of a photographic archive and its great potential for historical and aesthetic knowledge.