Origins in Mallorca, Spain

I was lucky to be born in the beautiful Mediterranean island of Mallorca in 1951. When I turned 14, my father put a Kodak Brownie Fiesta camera in my hands for me to take a photograph. I looked through the viewer and I felt an instant connection. In that defining moment, my destiny became very clear and I have since dedicated my life to photography.

A lifetime connection to photography

I learned the basics of photography in a self-taught manner. I still work, develop, experiment, write and teach about photography. In the last 40 years of my life, parallel to my evolution as a photographer, I dedicated 10 years to education, 10 to social photography and portrait, and 20 to building and managing a communications agency; which allowed me to travel to more than 50 countries around the world. That’s a lot of mileage, but also a lot of intense experiences that shaped me, and where I discovered varied perspectives and stories from many cultures which I now use to give meaning to my artwork. Upon retiring, I decided to radically change my approach to life and started a new path, in a totally artistic way. I have a creative freedom that allows me to express rather personal and profound stories through photography, and I feel the need to share them with others. I tell these stories with artwork that I achieved through the mastery of the wet plate collodion technique.

Mastering wet plate collodion (WPC)

One day in Chicago, during the spring of 2008, I discovered the fantastic work created by an extraordinary artist, Sally Mann. It was love at first sight. That magical moment struck me with brilliant clarity. I had to further investigate the technique she used, wet plate collodion. I loved the imperfections it created on the photographs, making each one unique. I put all my effort in learning and practicing the long process this pioneering and historical technique entails, and which democratized photography since 1851 when it was invented. I now have a 23-step process I follow that makes each of the ambrotypes and tintypes I create one-of-a-kind.

Artwork around the world

Since my first exhibition with wet plate collodion in 2012, entitled “Ictum Olim I” (the impact of the old), my artistic career gained momentum and international notice. For several years, I traveled between Spain and New York introducing my artistic work. In the U.S. specifically, I have exhibited my work in California, New Mexico, New York, Washington DC, and Florida.

A milestone giving me roots in Miami, Florida

Parallel to artistic life, family life also underwent a defining change with the birth of my first grandchild, Laila. My great joy as a grandfather meant I had to move from Europe to Miami, Florida where she lived. This has infused a special energy inside me, giving me profound inspiration and vision in all my projects. Miami has welcomed me with open arms. In a short time since my arrival, the Deering Estate honored me as a recipient of the 2018 Artist in Residence Program (AIR), in the discipline of photography. The University of Miami acknowledged me as “2018 Visiting Artist of the Art & Art History Department at UM” where I have also run workshops. I was fortunate to have conducted workshops at the The Art Florida Academy as well. In early 2019, new work “ICTUM OLIM V” will be exhibited at the Coral Gables Museum and a retrospective of  “ICTUM OLIM I – V” will be presented at the University of Miami Art Gallery in Wynwood. More projects, workshops and exhibitions are being crafted with these wonderful foundations, and others like the Miami Institute of Photography.

Philanthropy stemming from artwork

Currently, I am at the most rewarding part of my journey. I am using my knowledge and mastery of wet plate collodion for spiritual discovery and philanthropy, in an effort to better humanity, even if it is in a small way. My purpose is to use my artistic contributions to give marginalized families worldwide the means by which they can thrive. I contribute with my artwork and partner with global and local foundations which help establish philanthropy projects together with me. The aim is to assist those in need, particularly in the areas of digital connectivity, education and health. I designed and created a program called “Lumen Lucernae” to bring clean and free energy to 2,000 people living in different villages across Guatemala. The non-profit organization Amigos de la Aldea will install photovoltaic solar energy plates in these villages. To achieve this, I created 20 wet plate collodion images capturing the wonderful trees in the city of Coral Gables. Each of these one-of-a-kind pieces is being sponsored by generous donors. With the funds collected through the Lumen Lucernae Foundation, families in Guatemala will now have clean and reliable energy in their homes, improving their quality of life.

MIQUEL SALOM