Photographer Discovers Therapeutic Power in iPhone Photography
Spanish graphic designer Iñigo Jerez Quintana has revealed how compulsive iPhone photography helped him navigate through a difficult depressive period, with his poignant image of an abandoned bear in Barcelona serving as a powerful symbol of his recovery journey. The photograph, captured on an iPhone 13 in Barcelona's Poblenou district, represents what Quintana describes as "a bittersweet moment" that blends comfort with discomfort.
The Unexpected Discovery in Barcelona's Streets
While walking from his studio to a work meeting in Poblenou, Quintana spotted the abandoned bear that would become the subject of his most meaningful photograph. "I take photos based on visual impulses; anything that catches my eye," explains the designer, who uses the French term objet trouvé to describe the found object. "The colour match of the bear's fur and wall paint anchors a childish stereotype in a place where it doesn't really belong."
Photography as Unexpected Therapy
Several years ago, Quintana entered what he describes as a "blue period" of depression. "Without really understanding why, I started compulsively taking photos," he recalls. The act of paying attention to reality and fixing his gaze on moments of discovery became unexpectedly therapeutic. "It allowed me to tolerate a reality that, without being reinterpreted through an aesthetic lens, was very hard for me to cope with," Quintana explains. "Capturing everything that mixed the strange with the beautiful helped me recover."
The Bittersweet Symbolism of the Bear
The abandoned bear photograph represents more than just a visual discovery for Quintana. "The bear feels comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time," he observes. "It's a bittersweet moment that captures that dual sensation perfectly." This emotional complexity reflects Quintana's own journey through depression and recovery, where comfort and discomfort often coexisted.
Personal Connections to Childhood Objects
Interestingly, Quintana reveals he was never particularly fond of stuffed toys as a child. However, his family gave his son a stuffed leopard when the boy was five years old, and the toy remains in their possession more than a decade later. "In fact, we found it on the street," Quintana notes, drawing a parallel between his son's found treasure and his own photographic discovery.
The Healing Power of Aesthetic Attention
Quintana's experience demonstrates how the simple act of looking at the world through a photographic lens can provide therapeutic benefits. By training his attention on moments of visual discovery and aesthetic reinterpretation, he found a way to navigate through challenging emotional territory. His story highlights how everyday technology like the iPhone 13 can become tools for artistic expression and personal healing.
The photograph stands as testament to how ordinary urban discoveries can carry extraordinary emotional weight, transforming simple street scenes into meaningful artistic statements that document personal journeys of recovery and rediscovery.
