Catherine Wilson, Casas blancas cielos azules (Art (2019))

Casas blancas cielos azules is a series of large-scale digital collages utilizing architectural photographs as well cyanotype reproductions of pencil-line drawings of traditional Islamic patterns from the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria and Andalusian Spain). A North African city, built by the French with a Spanish name, Casablanca once the dream of empire it is now the financial capital of Morocco spearheading the dream of modernisation and development. The tension between a drive towards modernity and the desire to hold on to tradition is strongly felt there. White buildings photographed against these clear blue skies represent the aspirations of the city. Everything is beautiful in Casablanca as long as you are looking up… Fragments of these white buildings are taken, mirrored and repeated using the same principles applied in traditional Islamic design. The process abstracts the buildings from their original form. There are hints of their previous identity, but these are not easily recognisable. This new entity floats in front of blueprint reproductions of pencil-line drawings of traditional Islamic patterns. These patterns form a kind of grid structure that holds the buildings in place. The use of cyanotype with its past application as a means of reproducing architectural plans alludes to the traditions that underpin and stabilise the fabric of society.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.