Cortijada Los Gazquez - Vida en 1000m. Parque Natural Sierra Maria Los Velez. Andalucia.

Last night at Los Gázquez, Joya artist in residence, Tamsin Pender gave us a great presentation on the lives and paintings of her father and grandfather in Mousehole, Cornwall. It was a fascinating trail through history and culture and deeply felt love of this little harbour town. From fishing the Atlantic to the Second World War in North Africa and Italy, all the way up to Tamsin herself exhibiting at the Tate in St Ives.

And to add to the evening young poet Tomas Weber read from his first publication ‘The Small Stones’ published by the Perdika Press who specialise in experimental English poetry.

Sunday morning (this morning) saw the installation of Escribir; también resident writer Daam Nillan’s (aka Aaris King, Orange County, California) piece, ‘totem’ (working title only).

The snow storm has passed to leave us with a rapid melt and a slightly sunny day. So with the help of volunteers Arne and Jannik from Germany the pine pole was manhandled up the hillside to it’s residing position above the barranco.

Our artist came so far to write, and write he did, but there is something about this environment that enduces people to ‘make’. Daam Nillan used pyrography to scorch or brand the wood with his words.

Joya; escribir también welcomes Daam Nillan to Cortijada Los Gázquez this weekend and in anticipation of his arrival we asked him to write a few words and illustrate them with his photographs…

Daam Nillan

By Roman Roads

by Roman roads we’ll go, running

a)
b) pick-me-ups as price inquires and
c) over pedestrians, turning straight-

shooters into city streets shooting-up straight
cities

so what small number kept their stubs from
the Soprano’s on Broadway,    (not the screenplay)

had reason to redeem after the second act bent
shotguns into hydraulic shovels and

could strip-mine for sulfur, charcoal and salt-
peter

the percentage spent getting somewhere
amounts to the returning

Daam Nillan will be making a presentation of his words and pictures at Cortijada Los Gázquez on the evening of Saturday 13th of February. If you would like to come along please contact us through this blog…

Daam is an open form poetic voice, a pen name bent on misdirecting the idea of the ‘received idea’. I want to be a constructive medium, where comment and criticism may target issues regardless of race or faith or nationality. Topics in the past have challenged the English language and its forms, the business of environmental devastation, substance and alcohol use, rape and sexism, poverty and the distribution of wealth, war, and, of course, religion as a scapegoat for war and other human rights violations. I’ve also written about bad open mic night performances, Waffle Day in Sweden, and an almond tree. I kind of update the blog pope urban, served.

At Los Gazquez, I want to challenge my style and subject matter, and take advantage of my surroundings in full. The conflict of having all the time of day, yet still a time frame, is an experiment I’m looking forward to; one that will be both beneficial and, like, totally awesome.

Aaris King grew up in Trabuco Canyon, a tease of a border town between other Orange County communities and the Cleveland National Forest. It’s a place that forces body quickly through the front door, but with fingers crossed for soul to find the back. He’s now a part-time nomad, or a migrant/worker, or just not anymore a dependable bookstore manager, who is dedicated to the belief of shoestring travel as a method of cultural immersion. Aaris is currently completing some kind of degree in Humanities or Languages or English with a writing emphasis, while still working and sleeping in sunny Southern California.

Cortijada Los Gazquez would like to extend it’s residency, Joya, to include writers as well (escribir también) as artists.

The same principles apply as with the artists residency. Writers are required to engage with issues of sustainability, to engage with transition culture.

We at Los Gazquez agree with Joseph Conrad…

“The pursuit of happiness by means lawful and unlawful, through resignation or revolt, by the cleaver manipulation of conventions or by solemn hanging on to the skirts of the latest scientific theory, is the only theme that can be legitimately developed by the novelist who is the chronicler of the adventures of mankind amongst the dangers of the kingdom of the earth”.

The photograph is not Conrad but my grandfather in Latvia  around 1910. Half German, half Scottish and living in Riga. One of the first modern Europeans perhaps?