Over a period of fifteen years, the work of Javier Ayarza has gradually defined itself
as a constant investigation of the medium of photography and its unique possibility to
construct a subtle and historical gaze on the world. This publication brings together
two different works: ‘La siesta del fauno’ - an open project that began in 2000 in the
region Castilla y León – and that focuses on territories of failure and abandonment;
and ‘La estrategia del avestruz,’ also a work in progress, that focuses on the process
of recovering the historical memory in relation to the Spanish Civil War and the
repression carried out by the Franco regime. Compelling as they are thought
provoking, Ayarza’s photographs are reproduced here in full-colour and accompanied
by several essays and biographic information.