It peeves me the trend of some to separate professionals and amateurs as if that label valued one’s work over another’s.
On my last day in Pico, Manuel Lopes Azevedo opened his Paim Bookhouse Gallery to welcome us with some local wine, a delicious meal, and live music by Pieter Adriaans (the Dutch, São Jorge Island-resident, painter and philosopher who is even musical in his sleep; I won’t elaborate on this).
The day before, we visited the Handicraft School in Santo Amaro (Escola de Artesanato de Santo Amaro – ERASA). We were guided by the twin sisters (and artisans) who keep the project going. Alzira and Conceição are not just two sisters interested in preserving tradition – they’re entrepreneurs, experts, teachers, keepers, and a hoot. We were privileged to meet them on the day they celebrated their birthday.
It was also on that day that we met Isabelle and her “shack” of tiles. The word workshop didn’t entirely suit it, so Azulejos da Ponta da Ilha’s creator was comfortable with calling it a shack.Â
Remember how I said before that the Azores seemed to portray themselves with the images tourists want to see? In here, the “Azoreaness” comes through in tiles with the classic sperm whales, whalers boats, and pictures of the mountain. But also through images of bottles of passion fruit soda, Kima, because everyday objects and local pop culture also build up one’s cultural identity.
The same “Azoreaness” is captured in Mar’s collection of postcards.
But back to Manuel’s gallery (that is now richer with a painting by tattoo artist Pedro Júdice called “Pico no Copo” or “Pico in the Glass” in English).
We sat on black basalt walls as writers Diana Zimbron, Susana Júdice, Gabriela Silva, Nuno Cabral, and Pedro Paulo Câmara shared some more of their writing – caused by or inspired by those three days of the 4th Pedras Negras. Although Helena da Ponte and Humberta Araújo had left a few hours before, I didn’t feel they were gone.
Later, inside the gallery, Manuel went around the room, showing us each painting on the walls. Sitting next to me, Maria Guiomar Gaspar said: “I never studied to become a painter. I just like to paint.”
Her words would prompt me into a reflection about creativity which I haven’t resolved yet. I went back to that conversation with Manoel at the beginning of this post and the photos he takes of his creative process (to serve more as memory aids than documentary shots). I went back to the conversation I had with Pieter before leaving on how he thinks maybe people don’t care that much about the process.
Do you?
For years I focused on understanding and interpreting the finalized work and never bothered to look into the creative process. When I write, I know the most challenging part is always the creative process – that can be built upon or destroyed by the readers of the finalized work.
Great post! Thanks for sharing!