La fotografía en MurciaMaría Manzanera (1970-2018) fotógrafa, investigadora, historiadora, coleccionista y comisaria

Resumen

This doctoral thesis is the result of the need to compensate for the scarcity of research on Maria Manzanera (1946). Despite the fact that she is one of the few female Spanish photographers that had been working since the 70's, there is a lack of any specialized work and monographic thesis about her. In this sense, the present text focuses on the analysis related to her as an artist, researcher, historian, collector and exhibitions curator. Thus, it has outlined her background throughout biographical study and it has considered the contributions made by her in the Region of Murcia. In this context, the main aim of this dissertation is to reach acknowledgment of this female photographer. In order to this, it is studied, organised and analysed with a critical approach of her theoretical, creative, collecting and curatorial works. Therefore, we stress the importance of this multifaceted leading figure inside the photographic outlook. Methodology that is contemplated in order to do this research is a cross curricular subject, since it combines a historical perspective with sociological approach. Accordingly, it briefly describes the broad overview and then narrows down to our particular focus. Additionally, it proposes an argued route, following temporal parameters. As a result, the research is divided in two main blocks, «Contextualization: general background» and «María Manzanera», providing a vision of photography by means of this artist. The first deals with photographic outlook in Spain and in the Region of Murcia between 1970s and 1980s decades, in order to delimit the beginnings of the creator. The second one, not only is dedicated to the construction of her biography, but also it has considered basic aspects such as her professional trajectory for the creativity production, the history of photography, art collecting and exhibition curatorship. A whole documentary plastic journey dissected in the different chapters in this research, attest the importance of this multifaceted leading figure. In this point, this study has taken under consideration her significant contributions in Spanish and Murcian photography. Consequently, there is a connection between local and national panoramas through this photographer as an example of a woman that participates actively in photography.