his is a commissioned artwork for Eagle’s Nest, a beautiful resort for yoga, healing, dance and performing arts retreats in San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala. ( https://eaglesretreats.com/ )
Having the goal of referring to the place’s main theme, I chose to represent an Ornate Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus ornatus), one of the most representative birds of prey of Guatemala.
Being in a country without a proper waste management system, where most wastes are burnt or thrown to the ground or the water, I decided to use only recycled paper and glasses, inspired by the technique of a lovable old resident of San Marcos, the French artisan Merlín.
Living there and watching every day dozens of eagles making circles in the sky right in front of me, at their same height, made me realise the reason behind the name of this place, as I often felt like being one of them. To represent this, I put a mirror in the pupil of the eagle, with the purpose of reflecting, at the right proximity, the entire image of the eagle in the pupil of the observer. Two pictures show this peculiar effect. One of them is unfortunately fake, as it is impossible to put a human eye and the camera lens in front of the mirror at the same time. You can imagine, the real effect is a prettier psychedelic illusion.
Some of the glass wastes came from a local glassworks, where the worker initially wanted to sell them to me. Instead, I made and gifted him a small colourful cup, to hinder symbolically the increasingly materialist culture of Guatemalan people, and emphasize the appreciation of beauty instead of monetary relationships.
Finally, the last picture is a photomontage of all the artists who worked in the residency while I was there, a beautiful example of harmonious community living.
The psychedelic mirror effect (the right picture is recreated)
Different phases of the working process
The cup gifted
All the artists of the residency
