Click the thumbnails below for details about my work in 2023 at Bergosa an abandoned hill village in Spain
Summary
In summer 2023 I went solo on a 2-month self-directed residency to Aragon a region in northeast Spain bordering the Pyrenees. With the tiny village of Banaguas as my base, I walked out each day to work in the countryside.
Working outdoors is integral to my art practice and I often carry my materials, and walk in search of remote countryside or abandoned places. I work spontaneously, with limited materials to develop ideas quickly, in response to my surroundings. One of the most resonant places I worked was the hilltop village of Bergosa, a place that was forcibly de-populated in the 1960’s.
Description
I took my way of working outdoors to Bergosa, an abandoned hilltop village outside of Jaca, the medieval capital of Aragon. Bergosa is an ancient place (the ruined church is dated from 1100), that was forcibly depopulated by the Spanish government of Francisco Franco in the 1960’s to make way for a tree plantation, part of a nearby dam project. The violence of Bergosa’s recent history is belied by the beautiful, seemingly ancient ruins, a disconnect that is both troubling and moving.
Despite its history, probably because of it, Bergosa has not been forgotten and is often visited by the families of the last inhabitants and people interested in its story. The festival of St Saturnine, Bergosa’s patron saint, is celebrated each year. There is drinking water at the rehabilitated spring, and a place to sit in the shade to admire the spectacular view of the Pyrenees. All of this is testament to the resilience of the local people and also extremely welcome. There is no road to Bergosa, just an 800 meter walk up – water and shade is essential!
Once home it takes time to incorporate the experience of working on location into studio work. New painting approaches, narratives of place and memory (both personal and collective), found in Spain will resonate for some time to come.
