Inspirational walls in the Gràcia district, Barcelona

These two photographs were taken on Calle Verdi in the Gràcia district, Barcelona, this past weekend. Yummy, huh? I have seen this construction site a few times over the last month or so, and now I realize why I couldn't get it out of my visual memory: Above, it's the delicate falling paper (not to mention the wrinkle pattern left behind by the adhesive);


and here, it's the red-topped steel posts, adding rhythm and color to the composition.

Look for these inspirations in new work to come!

Molding Display: How did I miss this one?!

Yesterday I spied this little treasure through a rip in a canvas-covered, tall barrier in front of a demolished building here in Palma de Mallorca. How did I miss this treat?! Must have been a shop selling such decorative moldings.

I would love to just take this whole composition and re-install it in my house as a work of art on the wall, salmon colored background included. Do the contractors have guilt pangs when they finally build over such visual delights?

Urban Archeology - Arqueología Urbana

Shortly after moving to Mallorca I began to document the abundant activity in the construction and destruction of properties on the island. I still observe the antique mixing with the modern, sometimes harmoniously, sometimes in conflict.

What piques my curiosity most are the façades left behind after the demolition of a neighboring building. For a few short months, one can see the imprint left on the walls of lives once lived. It is a cross-section of changing generations of ownership.
By capturing these views before they are covered for another span of time, I attempt to depict contemporary artifacts obscured by civilization and progress. I mimic this process in my works by using discarded construction materials and painting over my own paintings.

What you are reading is the written portion of a proposal I just sent out for a juried show in Palma. I have been preparing for the opportunity for 6 months. And although the competition is certainly not a punctuation mark, I feel that I have already won- deadlines are great motivators!

Arqueología Urbana

Poco después de venir a vivir a Mallorca empecé a documentar la abundante actividad en la construcción y destrucción dentro de la isla. Aún observo lo antiguo mezclándose con lo moderno, a veces armoniosamente, otras en conflicto.

Lo que pica mi curiosidad es que la mayoria de las fachadas dejaron trás de sí la demolición del edificio colindante. Durante unos pocos meses, uno puede ver la imprenta dejada en las paredes de los que una vez vivieron allí. Es una muestra representativa de los cambios generacionales de la propiedad. Al capturar estas vistas antes de que sean recubiertas por otro lapso del tiempo, intento plasmar los artefactos contemporáneos obscurecidos por la civilización y el progreso. Imito este proceso en mis obras usando materiales descartados por la construcción y cubriendo antiguas obras mías.