Reviewing the photographic archive of my father, Manuel Cruzado Cazador (1945-2019), and perusing his magazines, books, and assorted documentation, I came across a copy of the "Arte fotográfico" magazine from 1974 (specifically, issue number 269), featuring an article dedicated to him. Initially, nothing seemed unusual, as photographs of him were often featured in such magazines during that period.

However, the article titled "The Projection of the Man and his Work... Manuel Cruzado Cazador" by José de la Higuera struck me as something special. It showcased a series of photographs that deviated from the common styles of the era, departing from the typical competition entries and anthropological reportage. These photographs constituted an exhibition held at the Spectrum Gallery in Barcelona in 1974.

I remembered those photos hanging in our home when I was a child, but over time, they gradually disappeared from the walls until I lost track of them.

I cannot locate all the original negatives from more than 50 years ago, especially those from his exhibition at the Spectrum Gallery. However, I do have some negatives that were part of it and others that might have been tests or never saw the light of day.

The purpose of my project has not been to reproduce what he did at that time—12 giant-sized works—but to play with his negatives that were burned, scratched, and manipulated in the last century (1970s). I bring my own perspective and interpretation to them, building upon his images with the goal of somehow connecting with him in the darkroom.

Hence, my work takes on an intimate format—small ambrotypes and ferrotypes—using the wet plate collodion process, through which I have enjoyed my time in the darkroom even more.

This exhibition project is divided into four blocks: Hands, Nature, Women, Resilience.