Almerian Narratives through Abandoned Architecture: a Q&A with Sondheim finalist Mark Parascandola

Mark Parascandola is an artist, professional, and 20 year DC resident who was recently selected as a 2011 finalist for the prominent Janet & Walter Sondheim Prize. 14 of Mark’s photographic pieces from a series shot in Almeria, Spain documenting the region’s diversity of abandoned architecture will be shown at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) from Saturday June 25, 2011 through Sunday, August 7, 2011.

The winner was announced on July 9: Matthew Porterfield. Congratulations to all the finalists!

Q: Mark, it seems that you do most of your work, and certainly your current series for the Baltimore Museum of Art show, abroad. What inspired you to take on the architectural scenes at Almeria, Spain as an artistic project?

All the images I am showing at the BMA are part of a new body of work shot in Almeria in southeastern Spain. One reason that drew me to that region in particular is my mother’s family is there, and so I have always felt a personal connection to the area throughout my many travels there. I have done photographic work here in DC as well, but I was especially drawn to the abandoned architecture in Almeria because of my personal connection. Also, I've become fascinated by the centuries of boom and bust economic cycles and rebuilding of civilizations that has occurred there over many centuries.

Q: Would you please talk about the 14 photographs you selected to appear in the current BMA show. What significance do they have for you and what do you hope your audience will take away from the series?

This body of work has two parts. Firstly it includes images of spaghetti western movie sets that were created in the Almerian desert during the 1960’s by European and American filmmakers. I have also included several images of newer constructions that have sprung up with Almeria’s major building boom during the past 10 years.  Since the recent economic crisis many of these new properties, including hotels and residential enclaves along the coast, have fallen into ruin.

Ultimately the region has seen significant economic ups and downs, but what has really intrigued me is how these changes are reflected in the region’s architecture. The structures that were left behind by the film industry, as well as the economic boom and then crisis, tell their own stories about the region’s history and people. I am interested in these human patterns and movement, through the lens of architecture.

In terms of audience reaction to my work at the BMA, I am hoping viewers will have an immediate reaction to the images. I printed the pieces using vivid color and large panoramic format because this is similar to how people might have seen these scenes originally on the movie screen. The large format of the images also invites viewers to take a closer look at their content and to take note of the layers of construction and rebuilding. I am hoping to prompt people to wonder a little bit about why these buildings were abandoned. We've all become accustomed to seeing images of empty buildings and foreclosed homes on the news. So perhaps viewers will make connections between the content of my photographic work and their own related experiences and stories closer to home.

Q: Your doctorate degree in epidemiology and your interest in documenting human movement and patterns through photography seem to correspond. Can you speak about your overlapping interests here?

In this current body of work there are clear links between these two interests. Epidemiology studies the underlying causes of patterns of disease that impact large groups of people. Those causes can be economic, social, or environmental, as well as biological. In my photography, I focus on abandoned architecture as visible evidence of those hidden causes. The architecture of Almeria intrigues me in particular because of its visible portrayal of a rich human history. The varying conditions and abandonment of buildings, along with layers of newer construction, is a tangible sign of the movement and narratives of the region.

Q: You are a thriving artist in DC, yet you have a full time day job as well. How do these two parts of your life work together?

I believe it is important to have a balance between the two. More and more I see there are connections between my academic training and my outside artistic adventures. I am interested in science and think scientifically for my day job, but it is important to also think creatively, even in science, and to have a creative outlet in my daily life.  So instead of thinking of my academic training as something separate I try to merge the two- I take a methodological approach to my art.

For artists in DC, and almost everywhere, it is always a challenge to balance and make time for creative projects, especially if you make your living doing something else. We are fortunate here in DC to have an active creative scene. It has been the support of other artists and creative people that have really encouraged my work in recent years and kept me going.

Q: Mark, as someone who studies changing patterns and movement both professionally and artistically, how do think the DC arts scene has changed in terms of accessibility during the 20 years you have lived in the district?

The DC arts scene has definitely morphed and grown in a positive more accessible direction during the time I have lived here. Maybe there are more artists or that it has become easier for artists to network with each other and the greater public. I personally have been active with the Mid City Artists group and Washington Project for the Arts for many years and have received a lot of support through being involved with these groups. I'm always amazed to discover how many artists there are working in my own neighborhood. Local arts-oriented websites have also done a lot to bring artists together and promote the arts. I think the continuing challenge is finding ways to link artists that are already here.

Q: If you are chosen to receive the Janet & Walter Sondheim Prize this Saturday, how will use your award earnings to expand your photographic work in Almeria?

I would like to return to Almeria for a more extended time period in order to visit several new sites and to continue to develop this body of work. For example, the invasion of Aqaba scene in Lawrence of Arabia was filmed in Almeria. The city was reconstructed along the coast for the film. While that set no longer exists, there is now a 20 story luxury hotel on the site which has remained unfinished and unoccupied for the past four years.  Eventually I plan to make a photography book of my work from this region.