Evora, night of the show

The night of my exhibition everyone from Obras went into Evora to see it and then a big dinner after. I was so happy to have them all there and to be able to share some of what I have been doing, since they see me drag this massive camera around but no prints yet, so the digital prints we were able to mount worked out well.
Erika at the showLucas at the windowThen we all walked over to the Museu de Évora, which is newly renovated and well worth the visit. This is Zakarias in front of the monumental display of paintings moved from their original home in the cathedral at Evora. The paintings date from 1501 in Portugal and highly influenced by Flemish painters of the time. It is breathtaking.Miira Sippola, director of Myllyteatteri, a theater company in Helsinki, FinlandHere are two of my favorites from the collection. This was also commissioned for the cathedral. I imagine that is Jesus floating out of the frame.This is titled, "A woman and a turkey", from around 1794.Oh and there are remains of a Roman temple to Diana across from the museum.

Inside the museums, Infinity goes up on trial

Last week or so we took a drive to Elvas, another town nearby and very close to the border with Spain. There is a massive Roman aqueduct that you drive through to get to the town and a shiny new contemporary art museum, The Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Elvas (MACE). It is housed in what used to be a hospital, so there are several beautiful examples of traditional azulejos that depict scenes of health care, and also sad donkeys that must pull the sick people to the hospital.In the lower level they had this interactive piece where you balance and walk on a thin piece of wood holding another.

I captured the castle

I climbed to the castle of Evoramonte last week one lovely May morning with my friend Helga. It starts out nice and mild, wonderful smells in the air, birds in the sky, and then 8km later I am dying in the brutal Portuguese sun, panting my way back to the Herdade da Marmeleira. Helga was not phased at all. She would have survived well back around the time when this current castle was built in 1531, although the city walls are much much older. I might have perished from the heat, or spent most of my days in the kitchen, cooking for the ancient kings.
We went all the way to the roof for a great view of the Alentejo countryside where they have recently installed at least three cellphone towers! It looks bizarre to have them on a 16th century castle, but I am sure it bankrolls much of the town which has about 700 inhabitants.

Chapel of Our Lady Of Mt Carmo (Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo)

Yesterday we took a drive to Azaruja to visit this magical chapel, originally dedicated by an order of Carmelite nuns in the 1750s. It is still a place of pilgrimage (as well as a nice hotel), and it is easy to see why. The inside is filled, almost covering every wall with paintings done as thanks for answered prayers by the saint. Many of them are from the 19th century, picturing people lying in bed sick, but the paintings and offerings all mean that someone recovered. It is a place of joy and hope, not suffering.

Little white one

Solo exhibition in Evora, Portugal next week

Great news!

"The Earth is Laughing"
an exhibit of photographs by Ellen Warfield
May 26 - June 15, 2011

Sociedade Harmonia Eborense
Praça do Giraldo 72 Evora, Portugal

I am honored to have a solo exhibition next week in Evora of photographs from my project on the marble quarries here in Estremoz. This is due to the work and forsight of Ludger and Carolien of the Fundacao Obras, where I am currently an artist in residence. Check out some pictures I took in the building last week. It is really a wonderful space. Please come!

Stormy weather

Chico pauses as he realizes a storm will be upon him.The eye of the stormGod I wish I could show you these pictures bigger - the sky was incredible.

Walk with me

A few people have asked me what it looks like here. It is beautiful. I am out in the country, in the Alentejo. But the countryside near Estremoz and Evoramonte is especially magical. Last night there was a thunderstorm on a full moon and the lights went out. The other day I went on a walk...stevia grows everywhere so the air is sweeta wild beast spottedeverywhere the earth pushes forward to meet methis is a painfully shy Gypsy horse being brought back to health by a local shepard. He bought her from some gypsies not long ago for 100 euros and she was skeletal but is now eating field after field of tall grass.this is the closest so far

7x7x7777

Seven-legged spider on the wall in my room, number 7 of course.

Obras

It has been quite hot here lately - thank god for the pool.and the field of grass and wheat to walk inand the sunset over the hills where the sheep graze in the evenings around the cork trees

Marble

So somehow the post I did yesterday about Marble is gone today? So bizarre, that has never happened before. Either there was a Blogger problem or someone out there really hates marble. I will continue on, you can't stop me you crazy ol internet. Today I went to the quarries again in Estremoz but with my 4x5 and a hat because it is so damn hot here right now. In Portugal they don't seem to mind if you wander into an active factory or whatever so I was in one of the active quarries and when I was done the main gates were locked for siesta. That could be a very long time so a nice man helped me jump over the fence. Adventure! Here are the pictures I shot the other day at the same place. It really is magical to me somehow. We are just carving away at the earth, redistributing it as we see fit. Some of this marble could end up in your next bathroom, or personal monument.

You can't get there from here

There is an abandoned rail station near to where I am staying. At one time this part of Portugal was the home of the ancient Portuguese royalty. It remained a seat of power and then the marble industry sprung to life in the 20th century. Abandoned places are some of my favorite places. It shows you the Earth has sense of humor and a gentle attitude toward all our endearing human machinations, thinking we can make an impression that lasts forever. more art than graffiti if you ask meflying duck