Tag: Square format

Ruins – the Casle and the Convent

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The small caste of Torres Vedras, not far from Lisbon, was well worth the visit. On the top of a hill, with a nice view to the town and surronding  área. It was built in the XII century, replacing a primitive muslim fortress. The buildings inside the castle do not exist anymore, and the walls were subjected to several destructions and reconstructions – including the damages caused by the  great 1755 eartquake . A great part of the walls are still well preserved

The Penafirme Convent was built in the XVI century, not far from the sea. It was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. The surviving monks were displaced inland, to a new convent that still exists. The ruins of the old convent are abandoned, half covered by sand. Some arches and windows still exist, as well as the thick walls.

The Autumn light

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The Autumn light in Lisbon is wonderful, after 4:00 PM the tangential light of the setting sun makes all the details of the buildings and walls more evident. The contrast with the shadows is amazing and the increasing air humidity allow us a more sharp vision of the lines and surfaces around us. The sun is still bright, and it is a good time to relax by the river.

Friday 13th

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Friday 13th, is, for some, an ominous day, when bad things are supposed to happen.

Not for me.

   Last Friday December 13th I went to the movies:  a film about czech Photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková  .( http://www.jarcovjakova.com/ ) A sucession of her black and white photos capturing scenes from her life in Prague in the sixties – mostly night-life scenes, of marginal minority groups. Lots of pictures also from Japan and West Berlin – fefore and after the fall of the Wall. Not my kind of photography, but anyway a well constructed documentary  about her life and work.

Another exhibition of images, now  from a portuguese photojournalist Carlos Lopes, who documented scenes from  the political activity in the days after the April revolution.  Late afternoon I was sitting outside with a glass of wine in dowtown Lisbon. Crowds of people shopping for Christmas, street musicians playing  and a general feeling of joy.

At 6:00 PM at Santa Clara Market an interesting exhibition from the “12 X 12 group”. This is an association of former and current Arts students. Their small-format works (watercolour paintings,engravings, drawings) was presented inside plastic CD boxes and sold at low prices.

Later, at the same venue, a drawing session with a live model

  Not a bad day for a Friday 13th…

Mud

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A walk yesterday along the south bank of the Tagus, on a calm morning with gray skies and little sun. Low tide leaves large areas of mud along the shore, covered in green slime. On the muddy surface an old fisherman is making repairs on his boat, probably as old as he is. Further ahead, a goose walks proudly, dominating his territory.

Time portals

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An exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the April Revolution and the end of the colonial wars in Africa. Seven artists created images on very large semi-transparent canvases, installed in the abandoned buildings of the largest ship repair industry in the Lisbon area.

There is visible light from the roof windows coming in through the canvases.

Conchology

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Conchology, or shell collecting, is the practice of  finding and usually identifying the shells of mollusks, a popular avocation, or hobby, in many parts of the world. https://www.britannica.com/topic/shell-collecting

I am not a collector of shells, but I admire their colours, shapes, textures and glaze. They are perfect subjects for still life images. Here are some photos of shells – far from being as beautiful as the originals.