Madrid, Spain—On November 9, 2023, José Alcócer Sáez, one of the promoters and founding members of the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA), died in Madrid. The TIPA founding member had battled a persistent illness for several years. However, his rebellious spirit will endure in the afterlife, leaving an indelible legacy in the world of images.
TIPA Founding Member
Born in Madrid, during the last days of the Spanish Civil War, José Alcócer Sáez demonstrated exceptional creativity from a young age. At just 13 years old, he participated in the launching of one of the first and most influential photography magazines in Spain, Arte Fotográfico, under the direction of Ignacio Barceló.
After more than 30 years of dedication, he became its deputy director in the vibrant second half of the 1970s. Moreover, it was a time of openness and creative freedom in Spain.
Together with his friend, photographer Miguel Oriola, later he created Poptografía. This publication explored the world of images in a casual as well as hilarious way. In 1984, he became editor of his own monthly magazine, Diorama, which he ran for almost 30 years.
After that, in 1991, together with Francisco Torres and Juan Manuel Varela, editors of the Spanish magazines FotoVentas and FV, respectively, they summoned numerous representatives of other European publications to a meeting in Paris. The goal was to promote the founding of the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA). At that time, it was an association of only printed photography and video magazines. Initially based in Europe, it is now international.
