More than advertising, by Pablo de la Peña

I usually visit the exhibitions offered by Salamanca art halls and centers. I usually take advantage of the Sunday morning walk to get closer to La Salina, the DA2, the Museum of Salamanca, Patio de Escuelas minores, etc…

I usually share time and silence with a friend in front of the exhibited works and at the end of the visit, on the way back home, we talk exposing different points of view, agreeing to return to that exhibition that has interested us the most.

Return leaving the necessary time to rediscover what captivated us, and enjoy the reunion with the information that we did not have the first time, opening a new space of interpretation to discover new emotions.

We relate art to these spaces that create a concept from the work to explain the reason for what we are observing. However, we do not associate the advertising claims that we find at our disposal on the usual routes through the city with art.

It is obvious that the interest of the brands is to highlight their product with powerful designs that seduce the eye. But, in the case of Loewe, its advertising campaigns go beyond the commercial reason to reach the rank of a work of art.

The photographic art samples that the Spanish firm gives us in any corner of our neighborhoods are a luxury at the level of any of its products. They say that if you don’t understand an ad, it’s not made for you. In this case, it is always made for you, for the delight of the gaze.

Possibly, one of the most remembered campaigns is the interpretation made by Arno Rafael Minkkinen in 2019, perfectly combining the human nude with a photographic archive by Karl Blossfeldt, made in 1928 on botanical photography, creating an emotional bridge almost 100 years apart. .

I also remember the 2017 campaign with the wonderful floral still lifes photographed by Steven Meisel or the “Solo” Campaign, which managed to be the brand’s best-selling fragrance, making the model Paolo Henriques an icon of the brand.

The latest Loewe campaign is by photographer Tyler Mitchell, who went down in the history of photography among other reasons for being the first black photographer to make a cover for Vogue magazine, with a portrait of Beyoncé.

Some Loewe campaigns make it essential to stop at the bus shelter, even if you don’t have any destination planned, if you want to experience the ‘museum moment’ of any given day.

Pablo de la Peña’s Blog, here.

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