Joya: AiR / Grace Herring / GBR
photo Simon Beckmann
Joya: AiR / Grace Herring / GBR
“Feeling stuck in the in-between, I naively hoped Joya: AiR would offer a restored sense of direction. What I didn’t expect was for such a depth of fulfilment: my very understanding of purpose and perception have been gently challenged and nurtured. Vibrant food, compassionate guests, the ebullient Donna and Simon, and the mountainous surrounds brought instant joy. Tenacious projects flourishing in the arid Sierra are nurtured by passionate creators and resilient flora.
The scale of the limestone and clay encased Barranco offered total immersion. The smell of mountain thyme and the sounds of a hoopoe atop El Gabar provided a sense of scale and acceptance. Bright poppies, flax flowers, shrubby gromwell and hierba melera punctuated my daily walks along the pine-fringed tracks. I didn’t encounter a single other human being on any of those walks.
Seeing aestheticism be complemented by lifeforms and community so directly and deeply informed critical thought. I found the group’s enthusiasm deeply touching: their passion was not directed to their own projects in isolation, but to the group itself, a creative micro-system within Joya’s ecosystem. Motivation was mainly sought from extemporaneous chats at mealtimes, though studio visits, group performances, reading events and talks gave a well-deserved spotlight to each of the group.
My work focused on transition, mutualism, and renewal by lightly enquiring and heavily observing. Such reflections were focussed on the multifaceted desire (human and natural) for longevity juxtaposed with the consumerist-driven ecological crisis in which we live. Noticing these intersections at Joya: AiR, compounded by the Sierra de María’s quiet resistance, taught me to be comfortable in the in-between.”
“A map turned back to front,
the inverse, doesn’t always
imply emptiness.”
Grace Herring
Grace studied for an MA in poetry at Newcastle University 2016-2017 with distinction (First Class). She won Best File of Original Work 2016 for her Bachelors of Art .
She has had work published in Under the Radar Poetry Magazine , Crack Magazine, Greyscale Zine, Ne-Ma Magazine and she has recently started a substack.
https://ne-ma.net/2016/09/02/a-triptych-grace-herring/
https://thenewbridgeproject.com/artist/greyscale-zine/
https://issuu.com/crackmagazine/docs/79-issuu/68
