above – a model of the walled city at Evoramonte with the beautiful 16th century castle at the top

working title of project – stone ruin tree castle

The “owner of the castle” specifcally (Direcção Regional de Cultura do Alentejo: Ana Cristina Pais) has given me permission to do this project. I will be at the Obras Foundation near Evoramonte for the month of October. I have brought several fabric constructions made of black and red materials that are cut and sewn into geometric shapes – a circle, a square, a rectangle, a rosette and a big swath of black cloth and long pieces of red cloth.

The beauty of the landscape, the many historic buildings, the stone monuments and the unusual architecture of Evoramonte Castle all call my attention and my camera. I propose to drape these fabric constructions on several of the significant objects and places between Obras and the Evoramonte castle and take photographs. I will place myself within the photograph sometimes as well. I would like to start with the solstice stone at Obras and perhaps finish on the rooftop of Evoramonte Tower and take many pictures along the way.

I appreciate all the assistance of the Obras Foundation in realizing my project in Portugal. Ludger van der Eerden and Carolien van der Laan have made this project possible. I also hope that the Portuguese photographer Luis Branco will take many of the images for me and with me. Curator, writer, dreamer Cydney Payton is with me all the way.