"I arrived at Velez Rubio at night, was collected by Simon and driven through the darkness and indiscernible landscape to Joya: AiR. I was longing for sleep after a fourteen hour journey and was greeted with wonderful food, wine and warmth. I have a vague memory of tumbling into bed.

The morning light was truly astonishing, waking to a view from the bedroom window across the tops of olive trees with a rising mountain set against a clear blue sky in the still , silent air.

I hold firmly to the maxim that everything is defined by it’s context and, given that my allocated studio looked out into a bone-dry mountainous landscape I was wondering to what extent this alien terrain might impact on the work I may produce.

My work is often described as ‘urban’, not least because I have explored ‘bill-board evidence ‘ to generate collages that partake of the social history of a place. A kind of ‘social archeology ‘ where I unpeel the layers of patterns, events and activities and re-frame what I find. It is something I did in other residencies In Thessaloniki, in Venice and in Crete so naturally I collected peeling, torn posters in Granada to enable me to make a start. It is an interesting way to engage with a place and affords focus and time to adjust to the surrounding environment.

Staying at Joya: allowed me to set my own routine, to dip in and out of work when I wanted to and also to remain focused and locked in to whatever I was doing for as long as I wished. I felt completely relaxed throughout my stay and found that even though I worked at a leisurely pace I was able to produce an interesting and varied range of work, whilst appraising and re-appraising the processes I was using.

Each day was rounded with excellent food, wine and conversation and I enjoyed this immensely. Meeting other artists, listening to presentations and also rising to the challenge of presenting and discussing my own practice was stimulating and challenging.

In simple terms, Joya is a tremendous project and I would love to return in the near future".

Bob Lawson

http://www.boblawsonartist.co.uk/

"Much of my work explores my emotional relationship with my memory -the way in which memory can affect us and the story we created by projecting the belief or desire. My work focuses on performances and mixes it with videos and photography. I enjoy using bricolage and involves overlapping video or visual images to rebuild them in order to convey my idea which stems from my memory and make something meaningful.

I intend to look for an open and wide place where I can continue my meditation Performance: sleeping piece which first performed in the UK in an indoor environment. During the stay in JOYA: AiR, I explored the forest here and sleep with a pillow on the land with the pine tree, every day two hours for about one week. I try to use my body interact with nature by the way of photography and performance. The landscape here quite similar with the work of Anselm Kiefer which also inspire me and I also took lots of photos and sketchbooks. 

Besides, Simon and his family are really hospitable，the food there is quite delicious.I will never forget Joya which give me the lovely memory and opportunity to do the art I really want to do, their professional technical support for my work as well".

Yiwen Wang

“It starts with gratitude.

One of the curses of living in such a fast-paced society is that we tend to take things for granted. We overlook everyday blessings, oblivious to the gifts around us. And we tend to rush through each day, less and less grateful, or mindful; which is no way to live.

I love my life in Sydney, Australia. It’s a full and interesting life but it has sometimes been overwhelming, dealing with all the issues of running my art business, my domestic home management, and my family; as well as having time to focus on my creativity. Coming here for a two week art residency has been amazing.

I cannot underestimate the quiet beauty of time to think, unencumbered by the minutiae of my normal daily life. The spare parched landscape has been a true inspiration to me – walking along the white roads of Los Gázquez and watching the landscape change with the light. Back in Australia I am a coastal painter, so responding to the driest place in Spain has been a wonderful contrast.

Every morning I look out of the window at the valley below and feel truly grateful that I have had this opportunity to explore new places in my sketchbooks, paint en plein air and develop works on canvas in the beautiful studio here. That view through the studio window will remain with me always…

The evening presentations from the other creative residents and the conversations on wide ranging subject matter have been stimulating and encouraging. At the end of each day, the dinners and chat around the large table with Simon, Donna, and the whole entourage have been marvellous and I have looked forward to them daily.

So it ends with a huge sense of gratitude.
I leave here with wonderful memories and a lot of new work in my suitcase”.

Debbie Mackinnon

debbiemackinnon.com

“I came to Joya: AiR, to write and paint and specifically to see if I could bring a fluidity to both disciplines.

In the case of my landscape paintings, to leave behind the physicality of my surroundings and instill a sense of deconstruction in my work. To develop a series of paintings, made with bold gestural strokes , influenced with colour drawn largely from a sense of emotion than pictorial reality.

The landscape of Andalusia and the Sierra María, is both seductive and challenging and forced me to look and look again. The studio at the art residency was like a magnet that drew me back, once I had completed plein air sketches and working roughs. A perfect environment to work large or small, rethink and re-assess and to rub shoulders with other like-minded creatives. I produced an enormous body of work in my time here and opened up my thinking. But more importantly, I felt a huge sense of achievement.

Early mornings were spent sat outside, waiting for the dawn. A perfect time to think about the fourth draft of my fictional narrative. Once again, the surroundings enabled me to think with an uncluttered mind. To meditate on my main character and focus on her journey through my story. To write with a fresh conviction.

Simon and Donna Beckmann provide an incredible escape. Leave artists free to explore and discover but are there for support when needed. Dinner together with them every evening was the final punctuation of the day. A colourful, lively discourse and always with delicious food. I will be coming back.”

MIKE STANIFORD

Artist and Writer with storytelling at the heart of both. 

Nine Quadrats @ Joya

“My residency at Joya: arte + ecología has opened my practice to routes and pathways I didn’t know existed. This was the case even from the application process, where I was successful in securing the residency through the University of the Arts London Environment International Artist Residency Programme. I was already being inspired by reading about Joya’s important mission, their approach to resource sustainability, and the artistic research that Simon Beckmann had done into the ‘ephemeral water systems’ (Sistemas Efímeros). Joya seemed the perfect setting to experiment with land and environmental art, which I researched and blogged about ahead of the trip; I wanted to somehow link this to mapping the terrain, which I also investigated prior to and during the residency.

Whilst I prepared a good deal before the residency, in reality no one can really be ready for the sights, smells and sounds of Joya. The location is set amongst contouring almond groves, surrounded by pine-clad mountains, with an ever-changing light, which changes from silvery through to deep amber-pink. Despite the beautiful studio with stunning view, I couldn’t wait to hike the nearest mountain, and ascended the nearby Sierra Larga. The summit is covered in sculptural limestone paving. Standing at the top, taking in the panoramic view, I recalled some of the land and map research I had done ahead of the visit. I decided to try and ‘capture’ the topography and biology using an interpretation of the quadrat sampling technique (see pictures).

Upon descending to the studio, surrounded by other artists creatively exploring the landscape in other ways, I constructed a second square, this time on the map. Starting with the location of the quadrat I had just constructed, I identified eight other corners or midpoints of the square. Over the next ten days I visited each of these and assembled a location-specific quadrat, made only of the resources in the location environment – stones usually, but also sticks and the bare earth. Other photos are included in this blog, and a full narration of the piece is provided here.

Without the residency at Joya, it is unlikely that I would have taken this step into an unfamiliar territory and explored making temporary, sustainable art deep in a fragile landscape. The location, the presence of a curated group of diverse and fascinating artists, the critical guidance of Simon Beckmann (and the insanely good food provided!), all enable a fertile and productive experience. This setting has allowed me to take some important steps forward in my artistic practice, and I will never forget the opportunity Joya has provided”.

“When I arrived at Joya: AiR in the remote and beautiful Parque Natural Sierra Maria-Los Velez, I was struck by the landscape: white earth, pine-covered mountains stretching as far as the eye can see, the zig-zag patterns of almond plantations. The house is nestled in a dip between mountain ranges in a stunningly beautiful position.

I was warmly greeted by Simon and Donna and made to feel at home at once.

In my practice, I use various materials, including acrylic spray paint, and because of this I was accommodated with an excellent studio by myself, which I very much appreciated.

The opportunity to immerse myself in the landscape, explore the walking trails, study the plants, think, experiment and make work was invaluable. The Sierra is experienced through all the senses. The mountains are fragrant with aromatic plants.

In my work, I describe the forms and colours of native plants in order to convey a message, or an emotion. I’m not that kind of a botanical artist that works to a strict scientific discipline- my aim is to capture the essence of these plants in their natural habitat. My current work concerns itself with the crash in the bee population. Bees are the most important pollinator of crops and native plant species, three-quarters of our wild plants rely on insects for pollination and bees are most important. The paintings feature the wild plants so important for these creatures.

While at Joya: AiR, I have been exploring the plants on the Sierra and have discovered an abundance of wild herbs and flowers that are important for bees. I have made paintings and prints describing these plants. Through the beauty of their form, I wish to convey a message about bee conservation.

I would like to thank Simon and Donna and their children Solomon and Sesame for a wonderful experience and for the unique opportunity for creative endeavour, and for friendship and guidance. Thank you also for opening my eyes to the issues of water conservation. I will go home with more awareness and respect for this valuable resource that we Irish tend to take for granted.  Thank you also for the wonderful shared mealtimes- Donna you are such an amazing cook!  Thanks to Rachel and Mark who were always helpful and supportive.

Finally, thanks for the friendship and kindness of my fellow artists, Emily, Steve, Debbie, Mike, Orly and Yiwen – an eclectic, interesting wonderful bunch of people”.

Kathrine Geoghegan

“My poetry and scholarly work is concerned with the nexus of landscape, society, and politics. Working in the field of postcolonial ecopoetics, my work examines human relationships with the natural environment and how these are affected by the global political economy, both historically and in the present. I am particularly concerned with decolonization and environmental justice and the ways in which environmental literature, as an activist practice, can help to examine and dismantle oppressive political systems and the environmental degradation that results.

I travelled to Joya: AiR to begin a new poetry manuscript after an inspiring research trip to the UK. My new work is a book-length poem that delves into events and experiences of British colonialism in Canada and South Africa in the early nineteenth century. I was particularly interested in coming to Joya: AiR to undertake a period of focused experimentation in a foreign, rural environment. Ordinary prosaic or lyric language is inadequate for expressing the extent of alienation and difficulties experienced by early colonists and the lasting violence and dispossession wrought on the indigenous populations they encountered. My language experiments over the past several weeks have taken me far outside of my ordinary poetic practice and I am inspired and excited by the results. I leave here with a skeleton of a manuscript, many completed poems and a direction for the work ahead.

Thanks to Joya: AiR for an excellent sojourn and to the amazing new network of friends I made during my stay”.

Emily McGiffin

http://amzn.to/2yQ67Oc

https://www.brickbooks.ca/books/between-dusk-and-night/

“My works synthesise painting, printing, video and digital collage and as such they may be envisaged as a mirror reflecting of conceptual, theoretical, and applied arts. My current research is about occult, mystical and spiritual practices and philosophies and the manifestation of these ideas in contemporary visual and performative art, as well as their relation to the technological era and digital aesthetic.

Joya: AiR was the perfect setting to go deeper into my research, with the energy of the beautiful surroundings, the inspirational presence of the Beckmanns , and being far from all that is familiar”.

Michal Raz

www.michal-raz.com

“After spending a fruitful summer in my London studio I came to Joya: AiR looking for a few quiet days of reflection. I wanted to think and write about the work done prior to the residency and also collect some visual information for new work on my return.

I managed to do all that and had a great time. Thank you Donna, Simon, Soli, Sessi, Mark, Nele, Max and Fufu. You are all amazing and made me feel so welcome. I admire this step you took and the life you lead now, it gave me food for thought. I hope to be back one day for a longer period”.

Gabriela Giroletti

“I spent my time at Joya: AiR mainly reflecting and wondering about my art practice. I came here with the intention of focusing on my research without the pressure of coming up with a finished product but by reading, organizing ideas, and thinking about the most relevant topics in my work. In this sense, the environment that Joya offers is absolutely unique and adept to my needs: the silence present in the desert landscape somehow is reflected in my own mind and allowed me to find the perfect environment to work without useless distractions.

Donna and Simon and their family are warm and very welcoming so that I’m already planning the next visit! “

Elisa Carutti

www.elisacarutti.com

“I came to Joya: AiR with the intention of using the surrounding environment to make site specific art work. I researched the landscape before getting here and had maybe 5 or 6 ideas that I planned to realise. Whilst here I managed just a couple of them successfully, and the others either I couldn’t resolve satisfactorily or decided against for various reasons.

That said, I found being in the landscape and the Joya residence, surrounded by the so many wonderful characters that populated my stay here, new ideas came easily and I was able to ask others to help me complete them. I leave here after a very productive two weeks.

It’s a bit of cliché of course that ‘people make a place’, but I feel extremely fortunate to have spent my time here with such wonderful personalities. I would like to take this opportunity to say a thank you to each of them.

Looking at this blog I’ve read time and again people expressing their fondness and gratitude to Simon and Donna, Soli and Sessi. I have to say all of the praise is deserved. They are fabulous hosts and a lovely family – an inspiration for sure!

Faye, thank you for showing me your beautiful drawings and explaining your very thoughtful project. I look forward to seeing it at the stage of presentation in the future.

Gwenda, whenever I have a boring moment I will return to thinking of your Death on Holiday project and it will certainly bring a smile to my face. You are absolutely hilarious!

Andree, thank you for the beautiful photographs you took of my performances. I have a feeling there is a very successful career ahead of you.

Dipika, your talk was fantastic and your seemingly endless enthusiasm for those things that you feel passionately about is both entertaining and inspiring.

Nele, I’m so pleased you love Techno. Those chats we had about parties were a lot of fun and transported me to a very different time in my life.

Mark, I wish you the best of luck with your future travels and all the time you put into good causes helping those that live in less fortunate circumstances. The world needs more people with your selflessness and kindness.

And finally Kyotee. Thank you for being you and for being in the same place at the same time.

Perhaps all that’s left to say is that I have had a wonderful time here and plan to come back and I’m excited about that idea. Perhaps that is the highest praise I can offer”.

Simon Linington

“I didn’t quite know what to expect from a Joya residency; the description sounded so different from the usual residencies that I went along for the adventure. But the landscape and walking paths surrounding Cortijada Los Gázquez are truly magical…the very second day I wrote out a poem which had been marinating in my head for a month. The day after that — after watching a resident present a very different kind of performance photography — I wrote a short story in a single sitting in a fit of inspiration. Simon and Donna and the twins, along with Max the dog, Fufu the goat, and all seven cats, provide the relaxed chaos of a happy home where artists of all nationalities can forge symbiotic friendships which last beyond a single residency. A truly remarkable experience.”

Dipika Mukherjee

http://www.dipikamukherjee.com

–Shambala Junction, (Novel) 2016. Winner of the 4th Virginia Prize for Fiction.

–Ode to Broken Things, (Novel)  2016. Longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize.

–Rules of Desire. (Short Stories) 2015.

“Joya was a special place to be in contact with nature, myself and sharing ideas with other artists. My project still in development to explore the female essence. The time here allow me to think and open my vision over it being more aware.

I did a short presentation of this project through a performance which was a different path to express it, also combined with photo and video. I feel very happy with this new approach that was presented, also I would like to say thanks to all who collaborated with me on this. In general, was great to meet fantastic people from different nationalities, sharing nice and funny moments, having delicious dinners all together every night.

Thank you for this good experience!

Andree Martis

http://www.andreemartis.com

“I came to Joya: arte + ecología / AiR while exploring ideas about home. I found that in topography completely foreign to me, and under a night sky that was otherworldly, I felt a genuine sense of belonging and home. Although I came alone, and removed myself from what was familiar and comfortable, the rich environment that Joya had to offer brought new connections to the land, the air, myself and the wonderful people I was surrounded by. It was truly amazing to pause, listen and observe not only the ephemeral beauty of our Earth, but as humans our innate ability to capture, create and respond to our surroundings when we give ourselves the time”.

“Thank you Simon, Donna, Sesi and Soli for this experience and all the wonderful memories”.

Alice McDonald  http://www.alice-mcdonald.com

“I am a site-specific artist, writer, curator and archaeologist who combines academic enquiry with artistic philosophy. My work transects the boundaries between art and science, it is a philosophy that draws upon phenomenology as a theoretical and methodological tool and is engaged with sensory response to and perception of place and elements.  Much of my work is informed by the act of walking, cartography and topography as well as the element of water[1].  It is also concerned with the environment and the interplay between nature and culture.  I came to Joya AiR with four sketchbooks of varying size and style, charcoal, sketching pens and camera with no other expectation other than knowing that what I would create would be about these parameters of my work and, more specifically, about place”.

“What followed was a two week immersion into the landscape, daily walks, drawing and writing.  I became attuned to the topography of the land, its hill profiles and the shape of the valley of La Hoya de Carrascal.  I climbed the high points of Sierra Larga and Las Almohallas and frequently traversed the low-lying barranco, the Rambla de Cajar. Walking, according to the writer Rebecca Solnit, is how the body ‘measures itself against the earth’[2], while the anthropolost Tim Ingold suggests that landscape can enter into our ‘muscular consciousness’[3].  This form walking is what I call an embodied cartography, a method in which the body perceives and understands place. As time passed and my connections to the landscape became more nuanced, I started to shape my movements according to the sensual characteristics of the winds of the Sirocco and the Levante (also known as the Solano). In the evenings, I would tilt my sight upwards and watch the lágrimas de San Lorenzo, the Perseid  meteors  dart across the clear, star illuminated sky whilst listening to the acoustic resonance of two scops owls calling from deep within the landscape. As much as my body recalled place, so the landscape recalled my presence in it. I encountered my perfectly preserved footprints along obscure routes that I had walked in previous days. I sat on boulders that remained clear of dust and debris from when I first positioned myself there and I navigated my way by visually wayfinding the particular characteristics of hill shapes and topographic features. I walked with a goat, who showed me pathways along mountain ridges and guided me through routes out of deep crevices and dense forests.  And, as a walked, I became increasingly aware of being in an ancient landscape where others have been before me and of water and the environmental, social and cultural importance of it.  I recalled Simon showing me the ancient hydrology system that is still visible in the landscape, I spent time with an alder tree that grows where a relic water source once flourished and I repeatedly walked a complex dry fluvial system, a negative space carved into the land and shaped by the action of moving water.   Cortijada Los Gazquez (home of Joya: AiR) lies at a confluence of elements, time and space filling the night sky and shaping the contours of the land.  It has many topographical stories to tell”.

“Joya: AiR / Joya: arte + ecología, is a truly international programme.  During my residency I had the great pleasure of working alongside incredible artists from Argentina, The Netherlands, Portugal, America and the UK.  There is something rather profound in creating an environment in which people come together to work and have space to think and create. We gathered in the evening over dinner, sharing stories, talking about our work and enjoying nourishing times of collegial creative conversations.   What Simon and Donna have created, along with their twins Soli and Sesi (and during my residency the wonderful volunteer and artist Gwenda Jakobs), is a remarkable setting and a unique and immensely rewarding experience for artists”.

[1] Stevens, F. 2008. Elemental Interplay: the production, circulation and deposition of Bronze Age metalwork in Britain and Ireland. World Archaeology 40/2, 238-252.

[2] Solnit, R. 2001.  Wanderlust: A History of Walking. Verso Books

[3] Ingold, T. 2000. The Perception of the Environment. Essays on Livelihood, Dwelling and Skill. Routledge Books

Fay Stevens

http://cargocollective.com/faystevens

“On my first day at Joya: AiR I realized how much I have been needing the kind of time and spaciousness that unfolds here. I came for this residency to continue developing a site-adaptive solo dance that explores the exchange of light and darkness between human beings and our environment. Dancing on a seemingly endless dirt road surrounded by groves of almond trees and pines, diligent ants, and a quality of light unlike any other place I have been, I felt connected to an environment that has been alive for centuries longer than I have. This terrain allowed me to become more grounded as I asked myself, “what is ancient in you, and how is that present in this dance?”

For a few days I was also joined by dancer Louisa Rader as I continue to choreograph a solo for her to perform entitled, “a wait for what the stars will bring.” With an exquisite view of the night sky, Joya: was the perfect location to let the stars inspire our embodied considerations of destiny.

Many thanks to Simon, Donna, and all the residents at Joya for their generosity, thoughtfulness, care for the environment, and creativity.

Candice Salyers   https://www.guidedance.com/registry/

” In the short time that I was at Joya, I felt that time and routine gave way to creativity. The atmosphere allows artists to take the time they need to work or reflect, with the freedom to talk to others or find solitude. While at Joya I regained a deep appreciation  for being surrounded by nature and all that it has to offer. Such a creative and inspirational atmosphere gave me an opportunity to completely immerse myself in my dancing and focus my energy”.

Louise Rader

“On my first day at Joya: AiR I wrote in my notebook ‘You have all the time in the world Zoe’. I often experienced time differently at Joya – it felt eternal. And as I draft this at the airport leaving Spain, desperately trying to capture the last essence of my residency experience, I realise soon it will exist only as memories, documents and images. However, I believe this collection of thoughts and ideas will have longevity.

I came to Joya with the intention of utilising the abundance of sunlight to produce photopolymer plates. Though such experiments were undertaken, as was inevitable other investigations and production took place.

I have an on-going project whereby I collect news headlines and re-create these using various media/technology. I have a particular collection that I return to often. They have previously existed in various incarnations – as letterpress prints and digital projections. I found myself drawn to these yet again during the residency and created these as photopolymer plates (to be printed on my return to the UK).

I collected ‘new’ current news headlines during my time at Joya. They have now become a part of this on-going project and have been subsumed into my collection. It will be interesting to see what they signify in a week, month, and year.

The physical newspaper also became a material for me during the residency as I began to experiment with cutting up and collaging news images and using the studio window as a way to experiment with the transparent nature of the paper.

In addition, I also created Cyan prints of various plants and objects that existed in the landscape and environment around Joya.  I was interested in the layers of history that inhabit the space and the stories these objects reveal.

The positive experience will certainly influence the ‘personal’ headlines I intend to create as a document of my residency period”.

Zoe Tissandier

http://www.zoetissandier.co.uk

“I have rarely been given the opportunity to clear the decks and work on expanding aspects of my painting practice as I have found at Joya: AiR. The freedom and generosity of the hosts and co-residents, along with the magical character of time in Spain (somehow -likely the siesta- two days seem to fit inside of one) and the epic landscape surrounding Cortijada Los Gázquez creates a perfect environment for contemplation and focus. Also the bleats of encouragement from Foufou the goat….couldn’t have done it without her.”

Mathew Mann

matthewjmann.com

“It was impossible not to take more advantage of the experience at Joya: AiR. I felt a deep and unexplainable attraction for nature more than ever, it took me to explore every corner in this gorgeous place.

Concentration was absolute and landscape generated some kind of inspiration beyond my expectations.

The silence I experienced here, multiplied my intensity to contemplate rocks, trees, the “barranco”, the absence of moisture and survival of every living thing in this unmatched natural kingdom.

Thank you Donna, Simon, Sesame, Soli and Gwenda”.

Nicolás Vasen

www.nicolasvasen.com

Jazz singer and songwriter Diane Nalini started singing at the age of three and never stopped. Born in Montreal to Belgian and Goan parents, she sings and writes songs in four languages (English, French, Portuguese and Spanish). Her multilingual repertoire draws from her lifelong passion for jazz, French Chanson, Brazilian popular song, and great literature. “She captures jazz at its most sophisticated and joyous level,” writes Elle Magazine Canada. “I just love Diane Nalini’s voice. This is a sassy, ‘ripe plum in the Italian sun’ kind of voice… She has such sweet and effortless pitch, it’s beautiful.” (Katie Malloch, former host of CBC radio’s Jazzbeat and Tonic).

Diane has released four wide ranging and warmly received albums, and has given gala performances for President Bill Clinton and Sir Paul McCartney. She was one of two finalists for the UK’s Young Jazz Vocalist of the Year in 2001, and was nominated for the Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors at the 2002 Montreal International Jazz Festival. She has performed in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Malta and South Africa. Her most recent album Kiss Me Like That, is a collection of 13 songs celebrating humanity’s fascination with the sky. From the title track’s infectious rhythms, to ‘Cuando sale la luna’ – Diane’s sultry ode to the moon, her original compositions on this album are all influenced by the wonders of the sky and stars. Her six original songs are perfectly complemented by classic jazz standards chosen carefully for this project, like “Stardust”, “Skylark”, “They All Laughed”, as well as her intimate interpretations of folk & pop songs such as James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” and Sting’s “Valparaiso.”

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