Inner place
A contemplative reading
Continuing the series of constructed images inspired by the poems of Fernando Pessoa, I did an exercise of imagination wishing to delve into the depth of the verses of the poem Conselho, which means Advice.
After reading the poem several times, I entered a state of contemplation to decode the complexity of the verses, and at the same time, I wanted to create my interpretation of the verses. Using photos taken during my psychogeographic explorations in Portugal, I created three images that reconstruct the poem in my vision.
We appeal to our knowledge when we perceive the information around us and also, for the way that we express ourselves. Sebastião Salgado said: You don't photograph with your camera. You photograph with all your culture. It was an extraordinary experience to transfer the message of this poem into an image shaped by my knowledge and experiences.
The poem Conselho urges contemplation. Here is my interpretation of the poem. The verses describe a space around high walls and a garden behind a gate. It is a garden of being where the soul has planted flowers that come from the earth and grow in the being, a place unseen by others where only the eyes can see. It is a place where Pessoa tells us to keep a double of our being, a reserved garden that is nothing to talk about, so poor that no one looks and can know nothing more than a garden.
Behind that wall
In the midst of the silence
The inner guardian
The artistic act requires emotional involvement from conception to the exhibition of creation. Images, like verses, convey complex information and transfer emotions to us. Pessoa's poetry challenged me to construct the story of a space contemplating the inner space, letting my mind slip into dreaming. I built that space with every verse I've read. Somehow, everything was gradually revealed to me, and I discovered that the place was always there, so I just had to look at it.