Two years ago I spent some time in Guanare, the place where I was born, a small town on the western plains of Venezuela, I had not spent so much time there in 20 years.
While visiting my parents and walked the streets I was finding these small adobe houses painted in bright colors, at first only take them pictures with my phone to posting on my social networks, like something pretty and anecdotal of my trip, but at going filling the phone gallery, I begin to see the patterns, the colors, I began to feel the need to deepen the subject, so I embarked on a search of the last “casitas” left in town.
A couple after months of Guanare, talking with a friend who was following the photos on my Instagram came the idea to compile them in a book, it seemed complicated, me having no idea how to do it, and also a little presumptuous, me who at the moment was shy to introduce myself as a photographer, me coming from the world of graphic arts.
While visiting my parents and walked the streets I was finding these small adobe houses painted in bright colors, at first only take them pictures with my phone to posting on my social networks, like something pretty and anecdotal of my trip, but at going filling the phone gallery, I begin to see the patterns, the colors, I began to feel the need to deepen the subject, so I embarked on a search of the last “casitas” left in town.
A couple after months of Guanare, talking with a friend who was following the photos on my Instagram came the idea to compile them in a book, it seemed complicated, me having no idea how to do it, and also a little presumptuous, me who at the moment was shy to introduce myself as a photographer, me coming from the world of graphic arts.
I begin to organize edition, the selection, thinking about the design, making the first package, and forward much as testing color, print and prepare the budgets, even have a publication date ready.
But my approach was very ambitious to self-finance the project, for a time I was determined to make the expense (the sacrifice), I was very excited, but I get carried away by the recommendations of many people, and I fell into the trap of thinking that I could get a sponsorship or a funding, me who am the least suitable person for such productions.
And time went on, my economic priorities were changing, new projects, more work and many more trips made the book of the “Casitas” be stored, I was giving away the print tests as small piece of my work and of my country and so the book project was dropped.
Until today, two years later, I’m back in Guanare, and decided to review the archives, the project excite me again, I thought about reshoot the photographs, this time with my professional camera, make them in better quality than of a simple phone, but in the process I discover with hurts that many of the houses no longer exist.
My original files are the only ones left on these reminiscences of what was Guanare, of a not so distant past, but that “progress” erases at a devastating rate.
All this makes me reflect on my role in this context, what happened, what I did and what I stop doing, and on the ruins of the original project began to emerge ideas of a new one, this time with final goals not so ambitious, but with most important personal and artistic goals.
As a first step I am posting the original PDF that I finished two years ago, with minor adjustments, ready for free download, on the one hand to present a record of my city, and as a base for what I’m doing now, sort of sketch.
This work has always been about aesthetics, myself, color, form, and space, element that I’m studying better in the next phase, an approach from the photography, a different technique to what has been my way as a visual artist, fighting my fears, my depression, returning to my roots, what left of them, while trying to rebuild my so damaged identity.
All this makes me reflect on my role in this context, what happened, what I did and what I stop doing, and on the ruins of the original project began to emerge ideas of a new one, this time with final goals not so ambitious, but with most important personal and artistic goals.
As a first step I am posting the original PDF that I finished two years ago, with minor adjustments, ready for free download, on the one hand to present a record of my city, and as a base for what I’m doing now, sort of sketch.
This work has always been about aesthetics, myself, color, form, and space, element that I’m studying better in the next phase, an approach from the photography, a different technique to what has been my way as a visual artist, fighting my fears, my depression, returning to my roots, what left of them, while trying to rebuild my so damaged identity.
Free download Casitas de Guanare
