publié le 23.06.2011
(en français suivant les photos)
My Aldea book project is finally completed, printed and ready for viewing. As you might of guessed from the title, this book, actually a forty page booklet, is a collection of photographs from my Aldea series.
Like the village at the origin of this project, this booklet is rough. Printed on an average print paper (slightly heavier than copy paper) from a local print shop and saddle stitched, the basic premise for this project was that it shouldn’t last or at least stay in pristine condition for very long if handled in a cavalier manner. The only thing that will make these a limited edition is time itself.
The methods used have added their own ingredients to the overall look of the photographs and the completed product is exactly what I wanted these images to “feel” like when I started editing this series way back in January.
I printed a small number for now which I will be selling for 7.50$ + 3.00$ shipping a piece (that’s Canadian dollars). Mail me if you would be interested in getting a copy.
© Patrick Alonso
© Patrick Alonso
© Patrick Alonso
© Patrick Alonso
Mon projet de livre Aldea est enfin terminé, imprimé et prêt pour votre visionnement. Comme vous pouvez le deviner d’après le titre, ce livre, en fait un livret d’une quarantaine de pages, est une collection de photographies de ma série Aldea.
Tout comme le village à l’origine de ce projet, ce livret est rustique. Imprimé sur un papier d’impression moyen (un peu plus lourd que du papier copie) à partir d’un imprimeur local et agrafé à la main, la prémisse de départ pour ce livret était qu’il ne devrait pas durer, ou du moins rester en parfait état pour très longtemps s’il était manipulé de manière cavalière. La seule chose qui va faire de ce livre une édition limitée est le temps lui-même.
Les méthodes utilisées ont ajouté leurs propres ingrédients à l’aspect global de la photographie et le produit fini est exactement ce que je voulais « ressentir » par rapport à ces images quand j’ai commencé à éditer cette série en janvier.
J’ai imprimé un petit nombre pour l’instant que je vais vendre pour 7,50 $ + 3,00 $ d’expédition. Écrivez-moi si vous souhaitez obtenir une copie.
publié le 06.04.2011
As promised, my portfolios are back up for viewing. Showing work in the form of portfolios as had me torn for the past months, I guess I still am. There seems to be such a finality to work once it’s presented in this format … as if I would never again in my life walk the streets of so and so city or revisit one particular edit.
Nevertheless, here they are in the form of individual galleries in the right hand column of my blog (Portfolios section), totally bypassing the usual website. Some old stuff with new one edited in (both streets series) and one brand new series titled “Aldea” which I produced last December in Aldeanueva de Ebro (Spain) and had mentioned in part here.
Aldeanueva de Ebro © Patrick Alonso
Including beautiful introductory words by Eve, the brief text at the beginning of the “Aldea” series describes my feelings towards these photographs. I am very attached to this particular work. While walking the streets of my grandfather’s village I felt very lucid, very focused and admits the decay, badly planned industrialization and dirt I came to the realization that the only beautiful thing about that place is my grandfather himself. Once he’s gone, any love I have for that particular place will be as well. That pushed me to document parts of it before everything changed too much … nothing was forced, everything was photographed on instinct without over thinking, never more than one frame per subject.
publié le 20.01.2011
My grandfather and his buddies at a local bar, unofficially named El Jubilado, in Aldeanueva De Ebro where they meet at three o’clock every afternoon. Mixed emotions here, which I won’t really go into except to resume them with three words, fear, hope and inspiration.
@ Patrick Alonso
@ Patrick Alonso
@ Patrick Alonso
@ Patrick Alonso
@ Patrick Alonso
The pictures where taken with a little Olympus Pen (no not that crappy plastic crap that was launched with much noise last year) that was lent to me during the holidays. The available light combined with the abilities of the little camera and film I was using made it hard to get anything really clear in that particular setting … but in the end I think it works, works better then what I would of instinctively done with my SLR I think. Shooting with film brings on so many limitations, I wouldn’t want to deal with them all the time (i.e. when doing commercial jobs) but when I’m in a wondering mood I find that they focus my mind.
If I had a million dollars, I’d buy my own little half-frame, a shit load of HP5 and a car. I’d ride until I found myself, hopefully never, and in the end I’d have like 990,000$ left … I’d buy El Jubilado. I don’t now what I would do with the remaining 989,000$.
publié le 01.01.2011
Aujourd’hui je quitte le village, que j’ai photographié plus que jamais durant ce séjour, pour Madrid et bien rapidement Montréal.
© Patrick Alonso
publié le 27.12.2010
Aldeanueva, in colour this time.
There’s this peculiar perfume in the air in Aldeanueva de Ebro, a strange mix of earth and smoke of burning vines that altogether makes for a pleasing smell. Whenever I take it in I go a little numb (might also be el vino) and tensions flow away … feels like home.
© Patrick Alonso
That one made me think of my friend Daphné …
© Patrick Alonso
© Patrick Alonso
In case you are wondering – about the title – I’ve been reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad which of course – has me thinking of Apocalypse Now.
publié le 26.12.2010
Aldeanueva de Ebro, qui ce traduit à Nouveau Village de l’Èbre, lieu de naissance des mes grands-parents ainsi que mon père. Drôlement, le village, pour la majeure partie, n’est pas neuf et l’Èbre coule environ six kilomètres au nord …
© Patrick Alonso
© Patrick Alonso
© Patrick Alonso
publié le 15.12.2010
Aldeanueva de Ebro © Patrick Alonso
Aldeanueva de Ebro in La Rioja, a northern province of Spain, origins of my family and where my grand parents still live. I took this particular picture last spring. I will travel there once again next week with a very brief layover in Amsterdam and a few days in Madrid. This will be my first time seeing this region in winter time, I’m very much looking forward to it.
For those interested … I will try to post pictures here on a more or less regular basis during my stay and that will be, if I can help it, the extent of my online presence during those few weeks.
