Naroa Perez

Naroa Perez is a London based photographer. Specialising in furniture and interior design photography their fine-art practice is situated in alternative film photography, working with large and medium formats. In 2014 Perez, moved from Spain to London to study for a BA in London College of Communication, immersing themselves in colour and liquid emulsion darkroom techniques. Perez graduated in 2017 and has exhibited work in several galleries throughout London and UK.

Figure 1: Trail of Touch installation (Perez 2017)

Lens Culture features an article on the Perez “Trail of Touch” project, an artistic and photographic exploration of the haptic through the alternative darkroom process of liquid emulsion printing. The technique allows them to print images on different materials to create tactile photographic sculptures. The concept creates a tension between sight and touch.

Perez explains, "The sense of touch is a silent language of mutual support. Touch is capable of creating networks of emotional solidarity that unite and comfort. To feel alive and connected to other human beings we need touch. It is essential for our survival. That's why we always seek contact, and that's what I call tactile nostalgia. During childhood, touch is essential to feel security and calm."

The artist continues, outlining how touch is directly linked to the human immune system, stating that, "Our skin develops the defence system of our entire body. It warns us of danger. And it generates and transfers all the responses to an attack. The skin is our watchdog."

Perez also highlights the darkroom's relevance, where the sense of touch is essential when working under safelight conditions.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of haptic (adjective) is “relating to or based on the sense of touch, characterized by a predilection for the sense of touch.”

Keywords

Naroa Perez, Alternative photography, Darkroom, Liquid emulsion, Fabric, Haptic

Bibliography

Arts Thread. "Naroa Perez – Profile". Accessed April 1, 2021. https://www.artsthread.com/profile/naroaperez/.

Lens Culture. 2017. "Naroa Perez – Trail Of Touch". https://www.lensculture.com/projects/702007-trail-of-touch.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. "Haptic". Accessed April 1, 2021. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haptic.

Perez, Naroa. NAROA Photo. Accessed April 1, 2021. https://naroaphoto.com/.