Made while artist in residence at PADA Studios, Barreiro, Portugal. Surrounded by the vast post-industrial ruins of the Companhia União Fabril (CUF) which was one of the largest and oldest Portuguese conglomerates from the 1930s to 1974 and later a chemical company, this series is site-responsive.
Life thrives amongst the ruin - delicate, determined, invasive, and resolute. Slow down, and the plantlife and wildlife reveal themselves. Lichen, moss, and neon yellow buttercups grow over mounds of debris, enormous bees buzz by, birdsong in a clump of pines, bleached snail shells, ants busy doing their thing.
During this residency, I started reading Cal Flyn’s book Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape - about what happens when nature is left alone to reclaim its place. Her research was a grounding companion, context for a desolate landscape, offering unexpected hope for this most unlikely of places. Her writing introduced me to the word ‘rudera’ (of the rubble). Ruderal plants are first to grow in disturbed waste ground.
With technical support from @tim.ralston Images: @lenalewisking @aperturastudios
