Barcelona (1950-1976): ciudad de márgenes. La construcción de la ciudad condal a través de la narrativa y la fotografía de posguerra.

Abstract

Abstract

This dissertation studies the creation of the city of Barcelona during the dictatorship, specifically from 1950 to 1975, through what I call its margins, a concept that refers not only to the physical boundaries of the city, that is, the suburbs, but also those interstitial spaces that crisscross the metropolis in the shape of social or artistic practices. I argue that these spaces take different shapes and meanings according to the artistic, social or political discourses that act upon them, and that, in a markedly reciprocal fashion, the city creates objects or activities that, in turn, build it, be it in a physical or use-value sense. That is to say, any city is a physical place, but it is also a place where people do things. So the urban space is not only constructed through architectural or urban discourses and practices but also through other cultural and social manifestations, such as novels, movies, performances and photography. In this study, the analysis is centered on the work of five Spanish artists: the narrative of Juan Goytisolo, Juan Marse, and Francisco Candel; the poetry of Jaime Gil de Biedma; and the photography of Joan Colom. This wide spectrum of works aims to locate different margins in the city and, therefore, diverse constructions of Barcelona. Thus, the result is not just one city, but a multiplicity of cities; not Barcelona, but as Manuel Vazquez Montalban says, "Barcelonas."