Archives
Carabanchel Photography Book Release Reception and Artist Talk 2
Artist Mark Parascandola releases his first photography book Carabanchel on Wednesday, June 4 at Studio 1469. Carabanchel spotlights Parascandola’s photography of the defunct prison that once jailed Spain’s most notorious political prisoners for the greater part of the 20th Century. The event is free and open to the public.
Read MoreÉrase una vez en Almería
La Capital del Cine Mundial Hace 50 años que la película de David Lean, Lawrence de Arabia se estrenó. Lean tenía la intención de filmar toda la película en Jordania, en la misma tierra donde Lawrence había llevado a cabo su campaña. Pero las dificultades por aquel entonces de trabajar 200 millas en el interior del desierto durante meses retrasaban la filmación y superaba con mucho su presupuesto. A todo ello se añadía también un daño psicológico porque el productor Sam Spiegel temía que Lean estuviera realmente obsesionado con el desierto. Por tanto, Spiegel ordenó que la producción al completo […]
Read MoreLa Chanca – Español
El Barrio de La Chanca La Alcazaba de Almería, un castillo morisco elevado sobre la ciudad, avista el barrio de La Chanca. Es una zona históricamente empobrecida creada con pequeñas viviendas construidas en las colinas a las afueras de la ciudad. Los habitantes pintaban sus casas utilizando cualquier ingrediente que estuviera disponible, dando como resultado un conjunto verdaderamente multicolor. Sus ruinas todavía recuerdan las operaciones mineras y de transporte realizadas durante el siglo XIX que se realizaban desde la montaña hasta el puerto más cercano. La Chanca ha sido el hogar de una población muy diversa, incluyendo pescadores y sus […]
Read MorePhoto/Video 2013 at Artisphere
Three prints from my new ‘La Chanca’ series will be on display in the Photo/Video 2013 Juried Mid-Atlantic Exhibition at Artisphere in Rosslyn, VA. June 13-July 27 with Opening Reception June 13 7-10pm. More info available here
Read More
500 Years: Spain and the United States
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.
Read More
Mid City Artists Spring Open Studios!
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 event to get a free smartphone app that you can use on your tour. Mid City Artists (MCA) open the private studios where they make their art to the public. Tour 25+ studios, in the Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, U Street and Shaw neighborhoods. Walk […]
Read MoreCarabanchel
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.
Read MoreOnce Upon a Time in Almería
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.
Read MoreFotoweek DC Schedule
Exhibit Open: Once Upon a Time in Almeria Embassy of Spain, 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC Visiting hours: M-Th 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, F 9:30 am to 2:30 pm More details here
Read More
The Final Duel
Mortimer stands eyeing his Colt Buntline Special on the ground, which has just been shot out of his hand. Indio approaches holding a musical watch. Inside the watch is a picture of Mortimer’s sister, who shot herself while being raped by Indio. The two gunmen stand inside a large circle bounded by a low stone wall at the edge of town. In the background is only desert, a few dry shrubs and distant mountains. Manco approaches, offering his gunbelt and pistol to Mortimer before taking a seat on the low wall. The duel begins. As Indio starts to reach for […]
Read More