Tuesday, November 8, 2011

ArtTraveler photo gallery: flaneuring in Malaga´s old city


I like to compose life as it happens.

I think that´s the “high” I get as a grab shooter or flaneuring photog.

My five and one-half weeks discovering contemporary art in Hungary this summer also taught me the value of fresh eyes.

Apart from painting and sculpting and an occasional deliberate photo excursion before my Hungarian chapter, I now keep telling myself, “You´re a flaneur.”

That´s what my very good Hungarian friend Zoltan Hajtmanszki tells me.

Zoltan is an internationally known and collected documentary art photographer living in Szentendre, 20 kilometers north of Budapest.

Reviewing his published works and many in the flesh ready to be sold in Budapest, I realized how close if not immediate composing life can be.

It reawakened my years as a young photo-journalist for St. Paul, Minnesota´s daily newspaper, always hungry to feast on new images drawn out of news happenings

Now, on my daily walk up the village (Canillas de Albaida) to Calle Laberinto where I feed a colony of 10 feral cats, I take my camera.

It helps keep me alert and alive.

So, when good mate John Barrett, an accomplished illustrator and painter as well as full-time senior university art lecturer, came down last weekend from Birmingham, UK, both of us realized another link, bond, connection.

John, too, was an an accomplished flaneuring photog.

Armed with our cameras, we wandered the old city in Malaga aimlessly on purpose, focused and at peace composing life.



"Death as Art" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Objects for Sale on a Table" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"There´s a Reason Cats are Smarter than Dogs IV" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2001)

"Preying for Freedom" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)
"Vegetarian Nightmare" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Fish Monger" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Fish Monger II" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Distilled History for Sale" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Cause and Effect" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"La Crisis Cat in Malaga" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Nun Too Happy" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Aceite R Us" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Heads & Torsos for Sale" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Solitary Figure III" (John Barrett in Malaga) Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Malaga Fiesta" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Bunched Bananas" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Healthy Palette" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Thinking Green" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Malaga Moment in Time" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Passion" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)

"Bunched Bananas II" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2011)
Rock on and practice peace and love.
Stefan, the ArtTraveler ™

ArtTraveler notes:

After living at the Hotel Queen Mary in Budapest (3.5 stars), I heartily recommend it: old on the outside, otherwise totally modern (26 rooms); 

The owner and staff are affable and speak English and German. Tel: 0036-1-413-3510; www.hotelqueenmary.hu; info@hotelqueenmary.hu.


Visit Andalusia for a walking holiday or week-long sculpture or mosaics workshop. 


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