MARKING STONES

Nodar, Portugal 2008

In the tiny village of Nodar, slate rock is everywhere – from huge slabs to glass-like shards; it is used and reused to build and pave, and mark boundaries; and it is crumbling back to its natural state. I wander through the village, stopping at different points to draw, mark, incise the stone, according to its particular form or state at each site. (The works include titles like – Rock of Flickering Sunlight, Slabs of Graffiti, Falling Water, Encircled Moss, Sun Rays…)

For the final event, I lead the group slowly through the village, with stones dangling from my clothes and walking stick, becoming part of the stony landscape. A map of the village with photos of the rock drawings, and a video are shown at the final exhibition, along with large drawings made from rubbings of the stones.

The work was carried out at a 3 week residency a the Nodar Artist Residency Center, Nodar, Portugal, run by Binaural Media.