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

Here is the model prototype approaching the finishing stages, being gilded. It’s not purely decorative as the piece is here to perform a function too. The gold leaf will prevent snow and water penetrating the fabric of the prototype and causing damage. It also facilitates the maximum ‘run off’ of rain or snow melt water to the vessel which will be below ground. As I write I realise that I may not have given you an explanation as to the ideas behind Lluís Sabadell Artiga’s installation….

Lluís has borrowed some ideas from Permaculture design specifically relating to arid zones such as we have here at Cortijada Los Gázquez.

The piece is called ‘Seta de Agua’ or water mushroom (sounds better in Castellano). The idea is that this mushroom shaped funnel will collect rainwater directing it down to an unglazed terracotta jar buried just below the level of the surface of the ground. The water collected here will slowly permeate the walls of the vessel releasing valuable water and nutrient into the surrounding soil. The canopy above will also allow shade which will facilitate the germination of plant seed and protect seedlings from being burnt by the harsh rays of the sun. It is intended to create little biomes of sustainability free from the summer aridity which characterises this part of Spain.

Depending on the success of this prototype Lluís intends to build several larger pieces in the future. The larger pieces will be made entirely from ceramic the upper portion being glazed the lower just biscuit fired.

A particularly arid piece of land at Los Gázquez was selected and on the incline. This is Lluís and myself along with his children installing the terracotta base pot in the ground in advance of mounting the upper half.

The piece finally installed and looking preternaturally comfortable in it’s new surroundings it was time to celebrate with a private viewing under the star light…

And when the gathering had returned to the house I took one last opportunity before the day was done to photograph this object lit with no more than the celestial light of the moon and the stars. And it did seem to possess another character, one belonging to the night, one that offered the opportunity for new life…

JOYA resident artist Lluís Sabadell Artiga gave guests an excellent talk the other night. His sound installations as well as performance pieces were accompanied by a thunderstorm at Los Gázquez, forks of lightning crossing the skyline in the window behind  the monitor. To see more of Lluís’s work look here.

Progress on Lluís’s installation has been difficult. Firstly the last potter to use locally sourced clay has closed his doors necessitating a trip to Guadix (famous for ceramics). On arriving in Guadix Lluís was a little surprised and disappointed to find that the majority of ceramicists import their clay from Barcelona of all places, in his native Cataluña.

However one potter was found who did still make his own clay in the traditional way and he was all too happy to co-operate and give as much advice and support as he could, including a generous supply of clay. Should you be in Guadix be sure to look up one José Balboa, 5 Fuente Megías.

When the mould was made the clay was cast, the idea being to be able to make a minimum of three more or less identical pieces for the installation. However technical issues ensued not allowing us to guarantee the success of the firing rendering each piece complete when taken from the kiln. This coupled with the high price of the firing necessitated another course of action…

It was decided that a proto type was the best way to pursue the project. If this were to be successful then a new installation in the spring of 2011 seemed the best course of action.

The original mould was cut in half utilising the upper ‘funnel’ only extending it somewhat. Then Lluís concocted a special compound, which we hope is weather resistant, to re-cast the shape. The hope is that this compound will be semi-porous on one side allowing the construction to breath but at the same time resistant to rain water or snow allowing it to perform it’s function. Today Lluís has gone back to Guadix to purchase a pre-ordered biscuit fired base for the piece which we hope to install tomorrow. He has also gone in search of organic materials to apply colour.

This picture shows the artist removing the proto-type from it’s mould. Colour mediums may include cuttlefish ink, charcoal and gold leaf.

The whole process really defines the artists creative malleability whilst not moving away from the original concept. Compromise has not been accepted merely a migration of technical means to complete the task. I shall follow up with more photographs later in the week.

Refining clay with the help of volunteers…

Model making.

We are delighted to have Catalan artist Lluís Sabadell Artiga here at Cortijada Los Gázquez. He is going to be working on a project based installation within the next few weeks which in turn will initiate a re-direction for JOYA. For further details please keep following the blog, or even better come and visit.

After two weeks of constant hard work JOYA resident artist Alice Forward, with the help of JOYA resident artist Louise Short ,was ready to mount the Skep.

The base is dry stone to allow free drainage on the inclined site. Above the dry stone they built an adobe type construction of clay supported with almond branches.

The site was chosen as the Skep can be incorporated into the permaculture scheme we are working on in this part of the grounds of Los Gázquez. A series of swales built on contour are designed to arrest what little water or winter snow may fall on the site. This coupled with deep mulch and the planting of native trees will support the bank and in the future yield fruit for the house.

And here is the Skep being mounted onto the adobe base. The almond branches, now on the interior, anchor the bee hive within…

… and clay seals the union in and out. The Skep’s construction is from Esparto grass collected locally and split cane to bind each coil. It is not a hive that is intended to produce honey for the house but to provide a habitat for bees and hopefully reap the beneficial effects of increased pollination.

And as the sun sets here are our artists and creative guests toasting the unveiling of the work.

I shall regularly update the blog with the progress of the Skep and it’s inhabitants. Keep watching.

Early morning saw myself along with JOYA resident artists Louise Short and Alice Forward scaling the 1400 m Peña Casenova…

The view from the top is awesome…

Here is Louise Short setting her ‘lure’ of animal entrails hoping to entice the odd vulture from the sky. She has set up her super 8 camera on a 48 hr time lapse. The finished film will be shown at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol in August. Hopefully I can arrange some stills or an excerpt to show you at a later blog post.

Here are the children making ‘Moth Mix’, the lure for the ‘Mothshadow Movie’ with JOYA resident artist Louise Short. It’s a heady mix of brown sugar, Coke, rum and treacle…..mmm!

Within days of being here Joya resident artist Alice Forward has collected the local esparto grass and after much reasearch into her subject, she has started building her first grass skep.

It takes hard work and discipline and hours of patience (especially as in this case it’s not been done before) to make and learn as you proceed with the construction.

It’s becoming a beautiful object already. I’ll keep you informed as to it’s progress…

Evening time, the air is warm and alive with the sound of crickets. Here at Los Gázquez the night sky doesn’t suffer the ills of light pollution. And as the night extends more stars than ever begin to reveal their light.

This is us, our family, Solomon and Sesamé along with Joya artists Alice Forward and Louise Short. They have commandeered us to help make a harmless lure for moths. It’s a brew of coke and treacle, brown sugar and rum all mixed up and then applied liberally to an old almond tree. Step one in the production of Mothshadow Movie.