All of these images are preparatory sketches/ ideas I am working on for the next series I will make in Portugal in October. I am happy that I will be returning to the Obras Foundation and working with photographer Luis Branco to produce this new series with a working title On Land / Em Terra.

The red “paint” indicates where I am planning on placing large swathes of red cloth and the black “paint” shows where I will place large pieces of black cloth. This work all references the several series of images I made in the studio and on the terrace and at the castle with the red and black cloth constructions last year. Here I plan on taking the hybrid methods of photography / drawing / installation / performance into the landscape and environs near the Obras Foundation.

Please excuse my rudimentary Photoshop skills. I made these “drawings” in Photoshop with red and black “paintbrushes” on top of images from last fall. All the images show the beautiful landscape and ancient architecture between the grounds of the Obras Foundation (Herdade da Marmeleira) and the Castle at Evoramonte (Castelo de Evoramonte) three kilometers away. Cydney, Rachel, Akiko and Ludger appear as my models in some of the images I took and I am the subject in the images that Luis Branco took.

Again these are just sketches, not final images. I think the effect of inserting and draping these large pieces of red and black fabric on the actual ground, behind ancient olive trees, within the architecture and on myself will be quite interesting. There is a magical and dreamlike quality of this region of the Alentejo and I think “painting” with the red and black cloth will emphasize this.

I have been listening to Miles Davis and Gil Evans’ “Sketches of Spain” while I sketch. There are both classical and improvisational aspects to this project – like Davis and Evans’ compositions. I go back to Portugal in the middle of October to produce this work – can’t wait!