‘This is a series of 16 drawings based on a treatise by Alexander Cozens, the 18th century philosopher, entitled ‘The various species of landscape compositions in nature’. The work is an attempt to reflect landscape ecology as theoretical basis for nature in relation to empirical epistemology. For me, the detailed systematic description outlining each composition contradicts the way nature is perceived and experienced. While linguistic system attempts to rationalise within a coded everyday language, visual language resists closure. I have reworked the series with discontinued lines creating marks like cipher towards abstraction. The lines becoming fragments of a disappearing landscape, constantly shifting and evolving through layers of geological time, entropy and erosion’.

Jeffrey TY Lee was born in Malasia in 1972. He studied BA in Fine Art Sculpture at Chelsea School of Art (97-200) and an MA  in Fine Art Sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools. He is currently a visiting lecturer at Camberwell College of Arts, London. You can read more about the artists here at Domobaal

“Esto es una serie de 16 dibujos basados en un tratado de Alexander Cozens, filósofo del siglo XVIII, titulado “Las diversos tipos de composiciones paisajísticas en la naturaleza”. El trabajo pretende reflejar la ecología paisajística como base teórica para la naturaleza en relación a la epistemología empírica. Para mí, la descripción sistemática detallada que perfila cada composición contradice la manera en que la naturaleza es percibida y experimentada. Mientras el sistema lingüístico intenta ser racional utilizando un lenguaje de uso diario codificado, el lenguaje visual se resiste a ser cerrado. He trabajado esta serie con líneas discontinuas creando marcas que parecen cifras que tienden a la abstracción. Las líneas se convierten en fragmentos de un paisaje que desaparece, cambiando constantemente y evolucionando a través de capas de tiempo geológico, entropía y erosión”.

Jeffrey TY Lee nació en Malasia en 1972. Se licenció en Bellas Artes en la Escuela de Arte de Chelsea (1997- 2000) especializándose en Escultura y realizó el Máster de Bellas Artes de Escultura en la Royal Academy Schools. Actualmente es profesor universitario en la Camberwell College of Arts de Londres. Puedes leer más sobre el artista en Domobaal.

Last weeks digital photography course has drawn to an end and we are particularly proud of the results achieved by one of our guests Stephen Drew. Stephen (and I don’t think he would mind me saying this) has previously never taken a photograph with the intention to create art. He arrived last week with a new camera armed with a basic knowledge of how to use it and look at what he has achieved. Thank you Stephen for letting us share your photos…

(Texto en español al final)

Here at Los Gázquez we don’t normally do special offers. However in this instance we wanted to motivate the 15,000 monthly visitors to our blog to come and experience what we have to offer first hand. So to celebrate our loyal readers we are offering a 15% discount on our normal price. You are not obliged to come for the whole of the week but anytime within the period specified. So the price with the discount will differ depending how long you would like to join us.

The course…

‘At either end of days here on the ‘high roads’, the ‘caminos altos’ of the Sierra Maria-Los Velez, there is a landscape drama often sublime, always beautiful. These are the roads built to access pasture for summer grazing, for spring water and the cultivation of almond and olive. On the periphery pomegranate, quince and fig. And in the middle of the day you can take shade in the shadow of these trees in the meadows of wild flowers. Often there are eagles and vultures overhead and ibex on the craggy slopes above.

‘Caminos Altos’ is the opportunity to walk these shepherd’s paths, to be a witness to this landscape and all it’s natural beauty. And we have built in the possibility to capture the elements of this environment that appeal to your creative spirit.

We walk a while then break to draw or paint, the choice of medium is yours, the discussion is composition, perspective and colour. You are free to express yourself accordingly’.

For more information contact Simon at [email protected]

Aquí en Los Gázquez no solemos hacer ofertas especiales. Sin embargo, en esta ocasión queríamos motivar a los 15.000 visitantes mensuales que tiene nuestro blog a venir y experimentar de primera mano lo que ofrecemos. Así que para celebrar que tenemos tantos lectores fieles ofrecemos un 15% de descuento sobre nuestro precio normal. No es necesario que vengas toda la semana, sino que puedes hacerlo en cualquier momento dentro del periodo especificado. De esta forma el precio con el descuento diferirá en función del tiempo que decidas participar. Además, si decides apuntarte, tendrás una excelente oportunidad para practicar y mejorar tu inglés.

Para solicitar más información puedes contactar con Simon escribiendo a [email protected]

(Texto en español al final del artículo)

‘The image making begins with a sequence of transcriptions from the field maps where landform features are traced to produce final interpretative geomorphological maps. We define our intension to choose 2 contrasting sections of the whole area which explain man’s influence on the land where farming and machines have scoured, dug, heaped and planted in neat rows as opposed to land shaped by natural forces of weather and water.

The images are already confined to landscape format in the shape of 2 extended oblong woodblocks. The sections I chose from the field maps are segregated and gridded enabling them to be up-scaled and traced onto the blocks in freehand with Indian ink. The patterns are copied and enhanced by drawing with a brush and the marks bounce across the wood with some resistance. Cutting tools then gouge the surface of the wood aiming to reinforce the rhythms of marks and emphasise the patterns that already exist.

The studio measures 7 x 9 paces, it’s light, bright and opens up to the outside. The huge picture window frames an effortless composition of big fore-ground with lavender, the mid-ground with almond trees and the back-ground hills rise up to craggy mountainous pine covered slopes.

The studio walls provide space to hang wet fresh prints and the fine Japanese papers rise from the wall in the breeze and gently fall again like a big Mexican wave.

This is making prints on the move with a minimal and stripped down kit. It requires a different response and basic working method which liberates ‘relief print practice’ into the realm of ‘field craft’ and forsakes the press for the barren. Working on 2 images in tandem organising cutting the blocks and printing so that the colours and textures build up in layers respecting the landscape and mapping it. To help release the potential of the block I also make mirror prints which result in surprising patterns which seem to embody the ‘Sprit of las Ramblas’. Some of the prints assume singular identities and enrich the series of unique prints that are emerging.

As more images join the growing bank of work displayed on the studio wall a twinning process is apparent which highlights the similarities of manmade and naturally formed landscape features, colours and histories.
The pair of woodcuts that most comprehensible reflect our collaboration are titled ‘Confluencia’ (f), between the Rambla del Cajar and Rambla de la Tía Polonia and ‘Palimpsesto’ (m), agricultural terraces for soil conservation and water harvesting which have been built across ancient ephemeral channels.’

Jude Macklin

“El proceso de creación de imágenes que estoy llevando a cabo comienza con una secuencia de transcripciones de los mapas donde los accidentes geográficos están trazados para producir mapas interpretativos geomorfológicos. Definimos nuestra intención de elegir dos secciones de todo el área que contrastan entre sí que explican la influencia del hombre esta tierra, donde la agricultura y las máquinas han peinado, cavado, apilado y plantado en nítidas hileras, en contraposición a la tierra perfilada por las fuerzas naturales del tiempo y el agua.

Jude Macklin

You can find out more on Jude and Mark Macklin’s residency here.

(Photographs by Jude Macklin).

Joya: arte + ecología past resident artist Eva Mantell has some new works we thought we might share. I found myself using the word ‘upcycle’ to describe how she has transformed discarded wax paper coffee cups into delicate sculptures. But then I thought I should cross reference the word and I came across something interesting…

Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.

The first recorded use of the term upcycling was by Reiner Pilz of Pilz GmbH in an interview by Thornton Kay of Salvo in 1994.

‘We talked about the impending EU Demolition Waste Streams directive. “Recycling,” he said, “I call it downcycling. They smash bricks, they smash everything. What we need is upcycling where old products are given more value not less.” He despairs of the German situation and recalls the supply of a large quantity of reclaimed woodblock from an English supplier for a contract in Nuremberg while just down the road a load of similar blocks was scrapped. In the road outside his premises, was the result of the Germans’ demolition waste recycling. It was a pinky looking aggregate with pieces of handmade brick, old tiles and discernible parts of useful old items mixed with crushed concrete. Is this the future for Europe?

You can read more here

Clearly this excerpt is referring to the  nature of reclaimed material, it’s usage and functionality. These are not terms I would apply to Mantell’s work or any artists work. The question ‘does art have a function’ is extraneous and not worthy of comment. What Mantell does is transform the discarded and everyday object into something wonderous. She ameliorates the casual excesses of our disposable society. You can see more of Eva Mantell’s work here Eva Mantell

‘Towards a manifesto for local art-science collaboration’

‘As Jude’s prints begin to appear – they are stunning – a day for me to reflect critically on the dynamics (personal and work-related), outputs, successes and potentially less-successful connections of this and other joint art-science residences. Based directly on our Joya:  arte + ecología work experience, some more general pointers to undertaking meaningful and productive collaborative art-science projects are also offered.

First and foremost, it must be a partnership of equals and both partners must respect the complementary skills and experience each brings to the collaboration. This cannot be a sycophantic relationship as self-criticism and especially the ability to give and take positive and sometimes less-positive feedback to your working partner is of paramount importance.

Second, a genuinely interdisciplinary project that aspires to be transdisciplinary should be jointly conceived, and when new and primary field information is required (as in this project) this should be collected together, although the artist and scientist will use their own working practice (geomorphological mapping and sedimentary logging in my case and for Jude continuous [streaming] drawing, sketching, photographs and videos) to capture data.

Third, leave you preconceptions behind but don’t be afraid to confront misconceptions of fact or working practice held by your collaborating partner. Avoid using environmental clichés such as ‘tipping points’, ‘dangerous climate change’ and ‘environmental wasteland’ – the last term is an oxymoron!

Fourth, for field-based work undertaken outside of the artists’ studio, or the scientists’ lab, a slimmed down and transportable ‘tool kit’ is required; with careful planning this does not need to constrain the ambition or reach of the creative output.

Fifth, production of artwork and supporting text is best done coevally; blogging is an excellent vehicle for this and offers the opportunity for external feedback in near real time.

Sixth, the collaboration works best if it’s time limited and can take place in a supportive and facilitating environment; Joya: arte + ecología was ideal in both respects. 12 days worked well for us and included a 2 day ‘spin-up’ period during which a thorough reconnaissance of the study river catchment was made and the work programme re-visited and fine-tuned.

Last but not least, what did help to sustain, grow and guide the collaborative project in unexpected and interesting ways was ensuring that it was locally ‘grounded’ within the community and sought to address issues that had practical utility as well as benefit for human well-being and ecosystem health’.

Prof. Mark Macklin

“Hacia un manifiesto para colaboraciones artístico-científicas locales”

“Mientras los grabados de Jude empiezan a tomar forma (son espectaculares), por mi parte hoy me estoy dedicando a reflexionar desde un punto de vista crítico sobre las dinámicas (personales y relacionadas con el trabajo), los resultados, los éxitos y las conexiones potencialmente menos exitosas de ésta y otras residencias artístico-científicas. Basándome directamente en nuestra experiencia de trabajo para Joya: arte + ecología, puedo hablar de una serie de puntos generales a seguir que pueden ayudar a obtener resultados significativos y productivos a la hora de emprender proyectos colaborativos artístico-científicos.

En primer lugar, debe tratarse de una asociación entre iguales y ambos compañeros deben respetar las habilidades y la experiencia que cada uno aporta a la colaboración. Esto no puede ser una relación aduladora, debe haber autocrítica y, sobre todo, tener la capacidad de intercambiar feedback positivo y a veces menos positivo con tu compañero de trabajo es de vital importancia.

En segundo lugar, un proyecto genuinamente interdisciplinario que aspire a ser transdisciplinario debería ser concebido conjuntamente, y cuando se requiere información de campo nueva y primaria (como en este proyecto) ésta debería ser recogida conjuntamente, aunque el artista y el científico usarán su propio trabajo (cartografiado geomorfológico y registro de sedimentos en mi caso y en el de Jude continuo dibujo, bosquejos, fotos y vídeos) para obtener información.

Tercero, deja atrás tus ideas preconcebidas pero no tengas miedo de confrontarte con las ideas equivocadas relacionadas con hechos o maneras de trabajar asumidas por tu compañero. Evita usar clichés medioambientales como “puntos de inflexión”, “cambio climático peligroso” y “páramo medioambiental” – ¡el último término es un oxímoron!

Cuarto, para el trabajo de campo llevado a cabo fuera del estudio artístico, o laboratorio científico, se necesita un kit de herramientas reducido y transportable; organizándose como es debido esto no tiene porqué constreñir la ambición o alcance de la parte creativa.

Quinto, la producción de material gráfico y texto de apoyo es mejor hacerlos conjuntamente; publicar textos en un blog es un vehículo excelente para esto y ofrece la oportunidad de obtener feedback externo a tiempo prácticamente real.

Sexto, la colaboración funciona mejor si tiene un límite de tiempo y puede tener lugar en un entorno que sirva de apoyo y facilite el trabajo; Joya: arte + ecología fue ideal en ambos sentidos. Los doce días que hemos tenido funcionaron bien para nosotros e incluyeron un periodo de aceleración durante el cual se hizo un reconocimiento minucioso de la cuenca del río y el programa de trabajo fue revisitado y afinado.

Por último, pero no por ello menos importante, lo que sí ayudó a sustentar, hacer crecer y guiar el proyecto de colaboración en maneras inesperadas e interesantes fue asegurarse de que estaba localmente “basado” dentro de la comunidad y buscaba tratar asuntos que tenían utilidad práctica así como beneficio para el bienestar del ser humano y la salud del ecosistema”.

Prof. Mark Macklin

You can find out more on Jude and Mark Macklin’s residency here.

‘The process of printmaking evidences nicely the making process over time. Its fundamental layering methodology sits happily with the other physical activities of mapping the landscape, peeling back its layers, stripping, revealing, and concealing its secrets. In print the layers re-build and construct, growing its own palimpsest and tracings which need to be overlaid and fixed in a certain laminate which speaks.

Writing these words is a far cry from making the image’.

Jude Macklin

“El proceso de grabado pone de manifiesto cómo ha sido su proceso de creación en el tiempo. Su metodología basada en capas concuerda con las actividades físicas de cartografiar el paisaje, recomponer sus capas, descomponer, revelar y ocultar sus secretos. En el grabado las capas construyen y reconstruyen, generando sus propios palimpsestos y rastros que deben ser revestidos y fijados en un cierto laminado que habla.

Escribir estas palabras está lejos de parecerse al proceso de creación de la imagen”.

Jude Macklin

You can find out more on Jude and Mark Macklin’s residency here.

(Texto en español al final del artículo)

“An image is worth more than a thousand words - Una imagen vale más que mil palabras.

Some studio days now to contemplate a visual language and corral some common ground. Moving on from the ’continuous drawing - simultaneous mapping’ requires a slow-down, sit at the table for a moment. The question is ‘how do we eke out the essence of our NOW place and time?’ I set out my stall with the limited supplies that my suitcase allowed and consider the 2 strangely inert plywood blocks and 2 Japanese vinyl bendy bits alongside my box of woodcarving tools. I wince at the constraints imposed by size and shape. I write in a list the number of days that remain for working. My primary colours in tins are good for distilling the ‘essence’ we seek and unfurling the feather-light rolls of Shoji and Gampi bring back the potential to succeed into my day.

The windowsill in the studio is arranged with collected items, carefully selected from our field work in order to blur our disciplinary and environmental margins, evoke flora, fauna and perfume that capture the badland landscape - the rocks enable colour-matching exercises to release the ink from the tins.

Sitting down to the evening meal together delivered additional thrills as large raindrops fell from the sky, a cool rushing breeze and a prolonged lightening display. It was the first time in 6 months that the land experienced water”.

Jude Macklin

“Una imagen vale más que mil palabras

Hemos pasado unos días en el estudio para contemplar un lenguaje visual y reunir elementos comunes. Ir más allá del “continuo dibujo - cartografiado simultáneo” requiere bajar el ritmo, sentarse a la mesa un momento. La cuestión es “¿cómo podemos extraer la esencia de lo que ahora es nuestro espacio y tiempo?”. Instalo mi tenderete con los limitados suministros que cabían en mi maleta y coloco los dos bloques de contrachapado extrañamente inertes y dos vinilos japoneses flexibles junto a mi caja de tallado de madera. Me estremezco ante las restricciones impuestas por el tamaño y la forma. Escribo en una lista el número de días que quedan de trabajo. Los colores primarios que tengo en botes son buenos para destilar la “esencia” que buscamos y al desplegar los rollos ligeros como una pluma de Shoji y Gampi se revela el potencial para tener un día exitoso.

Mientras cenábamos juntos llegaron nuevas emociones cuando grandes gotas de lluvia cayeron del cielo, acompañados de una brisa fresca y un prolongado espectáculo de rayos. Ha sido la primera vez en seis meses que la tierra ha recibido agua”.

Jude Macklin