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Her Caminho
with Ines Ambrosio
Interview & Text: Elisa Routa
Photos: Ines Ambrosio
As a kid, Ines Ambrosio dreamt of being an actress and a dentist. Why feel obligated to choose? The first thing she wanted to learn how to draw was a dolphin. Years later, she became a multidisciplinary visual artist passionate about surfing. That couldn’t make more sense.
I had a chat with the Portuguese artist and we talked about the importance of experimentations in arts, the balance between being in control and letting go, her fascination for mangos that she grows in her garden, and the cyanotype, called the “blueprint” technique described as one of the earliest forms of photography.
Carcavelos is situated about 12 kilometers west of Lisbon. There’s a castle on the beach, standing still like a lighthouse. A Portuguese flag is flying in the wind of the Atlantic Ocean. From the hill, it’s all about rocks and water, a balanced combination of hard grey texture and smooth aquatic moves. In summer, there is an accumulation of colorful umbrellas on the sand. Curled up like turtles on the beach, the kids are imitating the fortress above their head, building sandcastles. Lying down on striped beach chairs, old women are turning red, and families are walking knee-deep in water. That’s a wet turmoil, a beautiful circus. And that’s where Ines Ambrosio grew up, by the ocean, 30 minutes away from the Portuguese capital. It’s also the place where she used to surf almost every day. In other words, her home spot. “I remember going to the beach with my family and spending hours in the water, mostly with my father. Ever since my first surf lesson, I have never stopped. I realized that was the best thing I ever did in the world so far, and that I would do it for the rest of my life. When I turned 18, I decided I wanted to surf on a bigger board, and that I wanted to travel the world.”
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“I believe we are constantly changing, so we need to embrace it and not get stuck in our old versions.”
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Ines describes herself as a super creative kid that played piano, did art workshops from clay making to painting, did acting workshops, performed in plays, and above all, loved the water and the beach. “I changed a lot of schools from private to public ones so I had to get used to constantly making new friends, letting go some, and getting along well with all the kids coming from different backgrounds. I was really loved by my family and that always taught me the best values and guided me in the right direction.” When she finished studying Visual Arts in College, Ines applied for the Design and Communication course at Belas Artes University in Lisbon, « but I didn’t feel connected to it », she said, « and left to live for two months in the Azores, the Portuguese Island, where I worked as a surf teacher.” Then, Ines spent a year studying Photography in Lisbon before heading north. Brighton, England bound. “Brighton was a multicultural city by the sea and I felt connected with its vibe the very first time I went to visit. This University had more of a Fine Art approach to Photography, something that I could not find in Portugal and I would still be able to live by the ocean.” Perfect combo. She stayed there for 4 years, learning a lot about herself, the world, and the marvelous universe of arts. “I don’t feel attached to any place in particular, I rather feel connected with the places I’ve been and where I want to go. I’m working on being open to learning about myself and the world every day and being flexible to changes. I believe we are constantly changing, so we need to embrace it and not get stuck in our old versions.”
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“I am more interested in the act of creating and transforming an image than taking thousands of it.”
Experimentation is key, not to success but to creativity. That’s how Ines perceives photography, as a medium, more than the only option to visually represent what happens in front of her eyes. “I refuse to put myself or my art in a box. At the very start of it, it was about drawing and painting. In reality, my work could have been just that. Maybe that’s why my transition was so focused on the physicality of the medium. Rather than taking 500 photographs, I would prefer taking 20 shots. I am more interested in the act of creating and transforming an image rather than taking thousands of it. I feel comfortable waking up one day, saying Now I want to experiment with something new. ” That’s probably one of the reasons why Ines got hooked when she discovered one of the earliest forms of photography. The cyanotype, also called “the blueprint” technique has been first used by botanist Anna Atkins, known as the pioneer of this old analog technique capable of printing images. Ines was kind enough to sum up the process for us. “Used together, the mix of 2 chemicals creates a photosensitive solution. When affected by UV light (including the sun), it produces the blue color. The botanist Anna Atkins was a pioneer in cyanotype use, following John Hershel’s discovery of this process when he tried to find a way to make copies of his notes. Many architects, photographers, and artists have used this process to create images. More than the blue color, for me, the fact that the process includes sunlight and water makes me feel connected with Cyanotype making.”
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“The fact that the process includes sunlight and water makes me feel connected with Cyanotype making.”
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Visually symbolic of the water element, the blueprint technique allows Ines to not only document objects, but modify them, alter them, and eventually change them. And that’s what the Portuguese artist looks for: interacting with the photographed object, and intervening with the normal course of things. “My art is a reflection of me and what I’m going through in my life at the moment I’m making it. I believe we are constantly changing and so are our surroundings. Therefore, for me, since the moment it is taken, a single image can go through many layers of change and might never really get to an ending point. I usually decide when I’m not interacting with the image anymore.” As humans, we are evolving, emotionally, physically, psychologically; we are made of the memories we have kept from the past, we are made of the choices we have made in the past. Over the years, Ines came to that conclusion: this same past can, in many ways, affect our perception of our present life. And we are never ready for this. “My family used to live in Mozambique. At some point, I felt the necessity to create a new visual memory of Africa, merging archival photographs from my family with my personal photographs of a trip I took to Morocco. This is when I began using the cyanotype technique in order to create a visual connection between both.” The cyanotype draws a parallel, it builds a bridge between two worlds, two trips, two times, two people, two memories. This is a chemical, visual, personal, and artistic bond. “Later on, and after holding some exhibitions, I came back to this project and realized I wanted to change these prints again. When working on a book for ‘Blue Africa’, I felt the need to interact with them once again, having almost like a visual conversation with these merged memories. So I created fragments of them and, within the pages of the book, made them talk with each other. I created a unique language that I’m probably the only one to know how to correctly read. Understanding these changes, and letting them happen, is my main focus. »
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“It is a constant balance between controlling and letting go. Almost like I was observing my own work process from the outside, as if I had another pair of eyes.”
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Ines likes the idea of being in control. In the world of television and production, a person with artistic control usually refers to the one having the authority to decide on the final cut. That’s somehow what Ines decides to do regarding her images. Although there’s a true dichotomy between her necessity of creative control and the uncertain value of analog photography, the thrill of the unknown that often drives lovers of analog photography, Ines found a balance in her process of creation. “It is for sure a constant balance between controlling and letting go. Almost like I was observing my own work process from the outside, as if I had another pair of eyes, you know? Working with analog photography has a lot to do with the forward-thinking of an image especially when you’re photographing with a medium format camera. You have less shots available so you better use them right. When I’m working with a 35mm, I feel way more spontaneous since each film generally has 36 photographs. Creating is an amazing therapy, and I am deeply connected to nature, so most of the time that ends up being the main focus of my work. Nature helps me understand myself and teaches me how to be present, and that is my ultimate goal.”
“Understanding where we want to go, being grateful for where we come from and all our caminho (journey) so far is really important to help us be happy in the present moment.”
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Digging her natural surroundings, the trees, the plants, the fruits, water, people, and her family, making art represents a way to find an evolving version of truth. Art is the only way Ines found to walk towards her most authentic self. And her home. “Connecting with nature these days is more important than ever. Coming back to changes here, we must be ready to change to let the change happen. Just like water constantly being in movement.” Oh just one last thing: “Whatever you do, there is a place for you in the world. Understanding where we want to go, being grateful for where we come from and all our caminho (journey) so far is really important to help us be happy in the present moment.”
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