Seville

Seville November 2013 Contenedoras - Ruben Baroso photographer María Rosa Hidalgo .

We arrive late in the evening to our small hotel. Once settled we are exploring the narrow lanes which make up the old part of Seville. A man is stepping along, alone on the cobbled road. We follow him and note the street names, Le Panti… Plaza de Pozo Santo…Santa Angela de la Cruz …Duenas…winding in and out and find ourselves in Plaza San Roma by the Church of our Lady of the gypsies. The large doors are closed but outside by the waste disposal units some church furniture is discarded. We extricate a 10’ long carved piece and carry it back. We have our route, our theme and our object gifted by the series of moments of serendipity that we have come to accept as part of our process. Religious pictures of the crowned saviour with thorns adorn every public and private premises including bars and restaurants. These hold their place with images, in various colours of the coned-hooded brotherhood.

It is a Thursday, market day on the place del Feria. The young gilder stands outside his studio as we shuffle bearing our carved wooden piece. Yesterday he had admitted us to his workshop and gave us his story of the family tradition of gilding. He shows no sign of recognising us. We stop at our first station, sanding the scrolled wooden beam, cleaning it and measuring its length against a gateway. Station two we are outside the red doorway and dusting the alcoves. The Duchess of Alba’s presence is again alive as we circle the pillars at the entrance of the yellow ochre driveway to her house. Security check us out and lets us continue on. Two toned red thread we have woven in a chain and hook it to the wood echoing the Spanish fringing fashion and more so the blood referencing of Samana Santa. We weave our way through the thronged market place and ‘our burden’ shoulder high creates an easy passageway. It is not out of place with the array of other goods. The route leads us to the Roman Square and the Gypsy bar where we rest with a glass of beer and are accompanied by the caged parrot . Our final station is the gilding of the wooden moulding as we are watched by the men in the square. The ochre sand synonymous with Seville creates a bed on which our piece finds its homecoming, transformed and dignified.

November 25, 2015

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