In October 2008 I photographed the interior of the former Carabanchel prison in Madrid, one of the most infamous architectural landmarks from Spain’s decades of dictatorship. General Francisco Franco ordered construction of the complex in the 1940s to house the regime’s many political prisoners. After the prison was finally closed in 1998, the building became a haven for squatters, graffiti artists, and curious visitors. A month after my visit the entire structure was demolished to make way for a new urban development.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the region of Almeria, Spain, was host to dozens of filmmakers who constructed elaborate movie sets, invoking locations from the American Southwest to Bedouin Arabia. Films shot here include Cleopatra, Lawrence of Arabia, Patton, and Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns starring Clint Eastwood. Film directors sought to manipulate the otherwise uninhabitable landscape in order to create a world more imaginary than real. Four decades later remnants of the old movie sets remain in the desert, providing seemingly tangible evidence of human settlements that never really existed.
I will be participating in the Mid City Artists Spring Open Studios this month, highlighting new work from the La Chanca gypsy neighborhood in Almeria, Spain. Mid City Artists Open Spring Open Studios May... Read More.
‘Once Upon a Time in Almeria’ opens Friday April 26 at the Miami Dade Main Library building in downtown Miami. Installation is almost complete and the work looks great in the space. Several large... Read More.

Art exhibitions generally don’t come with a recommended reading list. Unless, of course, the exhibition is in a library.

May 2013 marks 500 years since Juan Ponce de León landed off the coast of Florida. His was the first official European expedition to reach the mainland of what was to become the United States.

Miami photographer Ryan Holloway captured some great images from the Opening Reception for ‘Once Upon a Time in Almeria’ and the Art of Storytelling Festival. Given the Spanish theme, the evening included Spanish wines, oversized pans of paella, and live flamenco music and dancing.

I will be participating in the Mid City Artists Spring Open Studios this month, highlighting new work from the La Chanca gypsy neighborhood in Almeria, Spain. Mid City Artists Open Spring Open Studios May 18 & May 19th: 12pm – 5pm Download the map to guide you along or check our website closer to the ...
Mark Parascandola is a fine art photographer based in Washington DC
and Almeria, Spain. A PhD epidemiologist by training, he uses
photography to explore the impact of movements in human populations
on the surrounding environment.
