An Almanjayar Tale
The fascinating tale of love and lust and getting by in the ghetto, as told by one of Granada’s most acclaimed flamenco stars.
Granada-based artist Natasha Phillips recalls a late-summer’s day spent wandering Granada with photographer Paul Ainger and an orange shopping trolley. It’s the beginning of October and I’m striding along the River Genil in Granada pushing a bright orange shopping trolley full of my art prints in front of me. Turning for a second to look downriver, Granada glows beautifully in the soft morning light. You can tell it’s going to be one of those gloriously warm autumn days, our last taste of summer before the cold arrives without warning and takes over for a few months. Granada is a city of sharp contrasts: summer and winter, hot and cold, sun and shade; there’s not much in between. Nearing the end of the promenade, I raise a hand to shield my eyes from the sun and spot a curly-haired man sporting a camera and a backpack happily waving as he bounces along energetically towards me. Meet Paul: the man behind the lens of Paul Ainger Photography. He smiles widely and apologises profusely for arriving late despite having left early, all thanks to a bus stop mix-up resulting in him being treated to an unplanned tour of Granada and its outskirts and then having to walk all the way back into town to meet me. We decide to head to the riverside restaurant Las Titas for a hit of caffeine while we plan the day’s shoot and Paul recovers from his early morning adventure. Over the last few years I’ve built up a collection of illustrations of the city and the idea is for Paul to photograph me and my prints of Granada in the places that inspired them. With a total of 16 designs to shoot all over town it’s no small feat! Just as well Paul has already warmed up. We decide to start at the other end of town and work our way back towards the centre, then head up to the Alhambra and the Paseo de los Tristes area and finally the Albaicín and Sacromonte to catch the sunset. We have a lot of ground to cover so I’m thankful that Paul is no stranger to racking up miles on the pedometer. A keen walker, he and his friend Tim West created 45 Degrees West through which they raise money for...
Visiting Granada this July? This exhibition inspired by the city is a must-see! If you’re in Granada this July, you can’t miss “Cautivada por Granada” for a free, unique and authentic experience of the city. Granada Insider caught up with the artist – Natasha Phillips – to find out the story behind the exhibition and talk about her life as an artist living in Granada. Natasha, tell us about the exhibition. The exhibition consists of over twenty original paintings of streets, views and landscapes around Granada – each one with a story behind it. This exhibition came around just in time for the 10th anniversary of my first visit to Granada, all the way back when I was a uni student studying Spanish abroad. I fell in love with the city that summer and came back as soon as I could. Granada just has something special; there’s something about its light and the feel of its streets… It tends to pull people back! I find walking around Granada to be a great tonic for the soul. If I’m having a bad day or feeling in need of a boost I just go and walk around my favourite places and I always find something to make me smile. There are so many beautiful sights and I feel lucky to be able to enjoy them. That’s what I wanted to transmit with this exhibition – not just Granada’s beauty but its unique spirit. What does the exhibition’s title “Cautivada por Granada” mean? Good question! The truth is I had quite a bit of trouble deciding on a name for this exhibition. When I first got booked for the space I wanted to come up with a name right away, but I just couldn’t find one that fitted. Plus, it had to be in Spanish! It wasn’t until maybe a fortnight before the opening night that I finally decided on “Cautivada por Granada”, which translates literally as “Captivated by Granada” but also has a more figurative meaning of “enchanted” or “mesmerised”. What has been the most challenging thing about this exhibition? Definitely the timescale! When the opportunity came up to exhibit at the gallery, I just couldn’t say no. I hardly had any originals left so I knew I would have to make a whole new collection for...
The fascinating tale of love and lust and getting by in the ghetto, as told by one of Granada’s most acclaimed flamenco stars.
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