Trillium Arts: My Artist in Residence Retreat

A look back on spring of 2021. A time that marked a few personal firsts. My first time on an artists retreat. I was Trillium’s first artist-in-resident upon their opening. My first time since dedicating myself to photography that I took a pause for creative self-discovery. And our biggest life change ever when my wife Lee and I decided to move to Spain by the end of the year.

I had a week on site to explore, experiment and envision new approaches to my creativity and photography. This was needed. Live events were conspiring, so it was time to break rank, pull back and reflect. Open up intellectual space to anticipate this next chapter.

My Trillium residency was a notable marker in our eight-month transition from our familiar downtown life in Chicago, to a living in a city I had never been to, in a country I have only visited once. Since we have embraced this new culture.

This leap of faith is how we intend to spend the third act of our life. Above all, I knew I could count on my reckless optimism and the ideal partner to make it all work. Trillium Arts was an important stop along this journey. Thanks Heather and Phil!

Happy Birthday Lee!

What an amazing journey we have together. An adventure of nineteen years and counting. This birthday seems exceptionally special as we are celebrating it in the location you have dreamt of living in since your young adult life. And I am so honored to be a part of this magic. 

Now pass the cake… 

¡Feliz cumpleaños mi amor!

My New Fotografía Chapter

One introduction leads to another, and the beat goes on. Valencia is home to a Berklee School of Music satellite campus. This adds a huge number of exceptionally talented musicians from around the world to complement an already vibrant local music scene. 

In quick order I’ve had the pleasure to photograph several of these local musicians. Like Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point, we have connecting people in our lives who serve as a sort-of ground zero for meeting a critical mass of people. In my case for music, it is a Puruvian multi instrumentalist name Corah. She has all the zest and spirit for life to light up a dark room. This friendship has led me to many musicians and the opportunity to capture them in plazas, clubs, cafes and and local festivals. 

There is something here so great, and not available with touring acts. We get to know each other, strike up wonderful acquaintanceships and collaborate. That is the most rewarding for me.

Learning Español

Lee and I took the dive into learning to speak Spanish with classes in the quaint neighborhood of Russafa not far from City Center. Twice a week we relive those faint memories of school days with our pen and notebooks. Apprehension from getting called upon in class in front of strangers honing their language skills. All these years I am finally getting a grasp of English. Begging the question, at this stage in life can I actually start over? 

Thank god this is a Latin-based language and we are not trying to learn Mandarin or Cyrillic. I enjoy recognizing the similarities and the roots of words that both languages share. But as far as pronunciation, breaking down syllables, syntax and gender, that is a whole other story.

Generally, people are friendly and open up when we make an attempt to speak Spanish. Or we quickly admitted that I can’t and asked if they could speak English. My most used phrase is Lo siento, no hablo español. ¿Habla usted Inglés? But one day we aspire to speak conversationally. Hell, I take the simplest of communication.

There is hope. One day… vamos a poder hablar español. Sin embargo, no se deje engañar. Actualmente usamos Google Translate a menudo.

Getting Around

We are getting to know our new city by walking, bicycling, Metra rail and the infrequent taxi ride. No pressing need for owning a car. One of my early apprehensions last year. Joan, you were right. 

Bicycling is a combination of using subscription-based ValenbiSi ride-share bikes or our personal bike depending on the outing or the considered risk of bike theft. Which is a real thing.

The ride-share bikes are slow-moving tanks that are indestructible and reliable when the app is working. The bike paths make the city completely accessible. And traffic seems safe. 

During the summer, the Metra trains run free all day on Sundays. So we have taken on our Sunday activity of ‘riding the rails’.  The trains are clean, safe, riders are well behaved, they run on-time and staff are helpful. This has helped us get oriented. For me this alleviates the anxiety of fouling up when traveling for timely events like concerts.

Week-by-week we are finding new routes and outings from the aeroport to outlining towns for a walkabout, a cafe lunch and a visit to a local interest such as a museums, a cathedral or a Roman ruin.

Welcome to our new digs.

This April was exciting because we had our first visitors from the states. It was such a breath of fresh air to spend time with dear friends. Shorty Belle and I met in Barcelona, traveled back to Valencia for a couple of days then returned to Barcelona for an inspiring weekend of Gaudí sightseeing. 

Overlapping our trip, Lee's dear friends Surinder and Bana came to stay. Bana en route to Italy for work and Surinder stayed on a few more days. We only wish that we could have delivered the great Valencia weather that all the travel brochures promise. It was an unseasonably rainy stretch. Needed rain, but a bit much on our parade none-the-less. 

It is such a joy to catch up, chill-out and to continue the ongoing conversations that besties have regardless of time and distance. We are looking forward to hosting others who are on the calendar. 

Hold My Beer, I’ll Be Right Back.

The last thing I expected was to travel back to the states so soon after our move. By March there were enough loose ends to make it worth it. Between tracking down a 1099 form, issues with online banking overseas, reducing storages, rebuilding a new external hard drive under warranty, it was just as easy and cost effective to just come back to Chicago for a couple of weeks. 

This also afforded me a chance to see a few friends and photograph a number of concerts keeping me from getting rusty. It looks like this might be a recurring thing. Special thanks to Tom, Beth and Ellis, Bob and Laura, Dan and June, Jeff, Shorty, Murph, and Paul for the immeasurable help.

Las Fallas Festival

Exclusive to Valencia, Lee and I have landed in the one area of Spain who annually hosts Las Fallas Festival that loosely reminds us of attending Burning Man. Costumes, music, fireworks, all night partying, pageantry, parades, parody, dancing, marching bands, hundreds of huge art installations dotted across neighborhoods burned the final night of this nearly-two week celebration. And as fast as the ambers die out, they start planning the next year. I’m not sure that I can remotely describe this event with any detail, depth or accuracy, but here is a hint. Well as they say, ‘Welcome home”. 

The newest additions to our family….. Meet Coco and Luna.

Lee and I are thrilled to share that we have adopted two adorable kittens last week. 

Replying to a post on a Valencia Expat Facebook page, their foster-mom liked that we wanted to keep the two together. Claire received them on her doorstep each over two days. As a pet shelter volunteer, someone in her neighborhood must have known they would be in good care. It is her assumption that they came from the same litter based upon markings, bonding, size and the lingering scent of a woman’s perfume. 

It was only at their visit to the veterinario that we learned Luna is a boy. They are inseparable and are settling into their new home. Louise, your intuition was spot on.

A Day On The Coast.

Lee suggested that we sign up for a day trip by charter bus to the province of Alicante. Who knows, maybe we will meet some like-minded people. Surprisingly, everyone was less than half our age with no interest in talking to the old folks. LOL. 

We had a great time on our own for this marvelous day taking in the coast. Perhaps the only time we felt like we were vacationing and not in the middle of a move. 

The Simple Life.....

A friend once quipped “you don’t own things, things own you”. With that in mind, we have endeavored to use this move as a chance to free ourselves and simplify life. Making great strides we largely succeeded: no car, stereo, television, clothes dryer, microwave, blender, trash disposal, ice machine, barbecue, loads of power tools, hobby collections and more. 

However…….

The simple life ain’t so simple…..

VPN, wireless service, G5, tech support, Wise, Vemo, PayPal, WhatsApp, Signal, Google Voice, Apple Pay, online banking, two-step authentication, Apple Wallet, translations, hosting, I.P. address, site domain, fifty-plus passwords, email accounts, hulu, amazon, router, SIM cards, Apple TV……………

Settling In

Our whole new material life transported by luggage

Our first day was the Sunday of New Year’s Day weekend. Most everything was closed but we managed to first find a cafe for a coffee, tostada and free wifi. Then we found a local bazaar where we purchased a comforter. Making for a significant bedding improvement from our first night sleeping bundled in our jackets. January 6th everything closed to celebrate El Día de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day). Many stores close for afternoon siesta. I found it a seamless transition from jetlag to siesta. This all helped us quickly slow down to our new Spanish pace of life. 

Assembling our bed

Our first priorities were our bedding, internet/cellular service, coffee, purchasing bicycles and registering our residency with local officials.

Our receiving department (aka kitchen)

Our first week while shopping for housewares, Lee approached two men she overheard speaking English. We quickly learned that they were not only from Chicago but also from our zip code. Further, they are friends with someone who was recommended for us to meet here. This along with a few other couples met online, we are fostering our local community of fellow English-speaking immigrants. Not much socializing the first six weeks but what we have done so far has been delightful.

As I set up my office and computers I will begin to explore the city, region, country and continent with my camera.

Greetings from València!

Not really settled upon where to move within Spain, years back Lee’s museum co-worker suggested València. One visit back in 2019 and she fell in love with the city and that was it. Now here, it is everything we expected and more. 

The third largest city in Spain, we are residing in the Ciutat Jardi neighborhood near El Cabanyal on the coast. And a 20 minute bike ride to the walled City Center. 

Sunrise view facing north towards the mountains

We have a two bedroom corner flat on the thirteenth floor with a rooftop terrace facing south and west. Everything we need is within walking distance and the bike paths make much of the city accessible.

Learn more about València.

The Third Act: Faith, Trust, Romance and Change

There was not a more poetic way to usher in 2022. On New Year’s Eve day Lee and I boarded a one way flight to Spain. We were not sure if our midnight countdown was Spanish time or Chicago time. In a Twilight Zone curiosity, I asked myself when exactly did our 2021 end, and 2022 begin? Either way, we did it. We were moving to Valencia with only our luggage.

Tracking the Journey: Chicago to Madrid, Madrid to Valencia

If not now, then when? We are in our late 50’s and knowing this is where we wanted to spend our third act. Lee’s passion for Spain started during her first visit in her 20s. Over time she made passing comments while quietly researching. No one in our inner circle was completely surprised when we announced our move.

Life’s greatest regrets are risks not taken. I look upon failed risks with a sort of nostalgia. But not acting is a relentless affliction. In March 2021, burnt out from her job, Lee joined America's “Great Resignation” freeing us for the focused tasks that lay ahead. And the courage to do it.

Unbolting from American life is daunting. Submitting our visa applications required attention to detail, timely dependencies, and careful interpretation. Setting our consulate appointment online was nerve racking. We had to decide where to live, secure a lease, declutter, hire a realtor, stage our home, list it, sell it, store belongings, close accounts, open accounts, donate items, change phone numbers, pack (wash, rinse, repeat). All while continuing with my photography. Ironically, the closer to departure, the more my activity picked up. Go figure.

Never mind the distractions such as my dentist disappearing the week of an oral procedure. Learning to pivot was our new dance move. While busy saying our goodbyes to family and friends we had enough dinners and drinks-out that my future Mediterranean diet would be a necessary lifestyle change.

Despite our self-imposed end-of-year move date, we could only handle what was immediately at hand. Any more was overwhelming. Like laying railroad tracks ten feet in front of a moving train, the pressure was on. The wheels were in motion. Yet each day reinforced that the move would actually happen.

Packing like a well played game of Tetris

We had what it took to get the job done: partnership, passion, persistence and planning.  Therein lies the magic. While diligently working the tasks, we had angels on our shoulders. Something beyond logic took over. Everything timed out exceptionally well. We were “in the flow”. Confirming this move was meant to be. Every carload to storage fit like a well played game of Tetris. On faith, we accepted the vendors’ home repair schedule, not ours. Doubting we would be ready for them, later we were in awe at the impeccable timing. I even served eight days of Federal jury duty the same weeks we staged and listed our home. I was grateful for having served my civic duty while still stateside. It all worked out.

The biggest milestone: selling our Dearborn Tower condo

Hiring our realtor, and friend Carolyn was a great decision. Our closing eked in at the end of the home-buying season. Near our asking price, the buyer even purchased the furniture. It was seamless, like the lost verses of Paul Simon’s 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover: 

“Drive out of the garage, Rodge, down the street Pete, rent a space Grace, and set yourself free. Book your flight, Dwight, direct to Spain, Jane, just you and me, Lee and set yourself free.”

Next, we rented a room around the block from our friend and neighbor Kathy. By moving in the same street-parking zone, we dodged a city hall ring-of-hell. Our belongings were in various stages of gifting, storing, donating, packing or selling. By departure everything neatly fit in a 5’x7’ storage unit. Temporarily in a dorm room-like lifestyle, we achieved a great downsizing!

Holding onto faith, we had not received our visas yet and dared not entertain “what if”. With no backup plan, it was a particularly grateful Thanksgiving weekend when they arrived. Book flights! Fastforward, we skirted weather and COVID-related flight cancellations by mere hours. The travel gods shined favor on us.

The Suber-Dude Abides hands over the keys to The Subar-Dudess Abides

Reboot: Version 2.0 The Subar-Dudess Abides

Even selling our car was well timed. The day before leaving, our friends John and Yva purchased it. The transition was whimsical. Like preparing me for a somber facts-of-life-talk, Yva sat me down and gently informed me she was renaming the Subaru that I notoriously anointed The Suber-Dude Abides.

To claim we did all of this on our own is disingenuous. Our neighbor Ruth took us in when the floors were refurbished. We hired our friend Jack to paint. My creative partner Paul helped scale down my camera gear. Lee’s moms, brother and family helped in numerous ways. The Joens, my god-parent’s family, as my own, were there every step. Including Bob driving us to the airport. A list of many helped by sharing referrals, ideas and antidotes including newly formed Valencia-bound Facebook friends.

Most endearing was witnessing my wife regain her personal sovereignty with a renewed, post-employment purpose.And if that ain’t scintillating, what is? Between this and lockdown, we had never spent more continual time together. We complimented each other and worked together as a team. An air of romance rekindled like honeymooners savoring decisions and anticipating what the future could hold. Nothing like achieving a goal bigger than either one of us to further our love and admiration.

A key spiritual aspiration that weighed in was non-attachment. Our ability to let go of belongings, clients, gigs, successes, routines, mobility, securities, and everything that was familiar in our comfortable life.

The first sign in Spain that affirmed our efforts.

Within days of arriving in Valencia, I noticed a wall plaque at our local bike shop proclaiming the familiar phrase “The Journey Is The Destination”. These words rang close to my heart.This summed up the magic of what was unfolding. The months of rigorous planning and work is when the adventure began.

The Subar-Dude Abides retiring his ride

Dear Subaru, 

Thank you for the twelve epic years and 120,000 miles I drove my ‘09 Forester around the states attending and photographing concerts and festivals. Or when not on the open road, hauling art projects crosstown. What a great run!

As I ticked off miles, I was at one with my wheels. I melded with my ride forming my road personna: The SuberDude Abides! One part, Big Lebowski, one part Subaru Love, one part road-poet, one part concert photographer. Oh how my wife is patient.

I do not have heroic stories of stand-offs with bears, sloppy dog moments or saving furry forest friends. But this road warrior served me well. Occasionally, on long trips I slept in it, I camped out of it. I hauled camera gear, and I transported flat-packed pop-up art. Through hail storms, traffic jams, or mountain climbs, it never failed.

Sadly, I had to sell The SuberDude when my wife and I moved to Spain this year. Just couldn’t figure out a reasonable route to drive it here. Even preparing for the move, every load of donated art supplies and personal belongings to storage fit like a well played game of Tetris. The road angels always shined favorably on me.

The good news is reboot, version 2.0. I sold it to an artist friend who will carry on the tradition. She will use it for her hauling her art as well. And It’s no coincidence that her family are already Subaru owners. I live in the comfort that The SuberDudette travels on! 

Love,

¡El SuberDude Abides!

Click image to read my road poems

www.philamonjaro.com/the-subardude-abides

Many thanks for all the great music memories.

My eight glorious years as City Winery Chicago’s house photographer are coming to an end as my wife and I relocate to Valencia, Spain. 

It has been a privilege to serve this role. An opportunity enabling me to photograph at a pace beyond imagination. If napkin math serves me correctly, I have photographed well over 550 artists on these stages including the riverfront and a few visits to NYC and Nashville. City Winery has been my second home for nearly a decade.

I’ve grown so much in my work. And enriched my life starting with befriending the incredible staff. Running into old friends from all corners of my life. Making new acquaintances. Experiencing a lifetime of performances. Meeting inspiring artists. And not least, experiencing one of the Chicago greatest performance spaces.

“Shape clay into a vessel; It is the space within that makes it useful.

― Laozi

Beyond talent and presentation, it’s the room’s energy, an artist’s repartee, audience responses, unexpected magic, a fan’s glow. It makes for a great experience and photography.

Staff provides artists and guests with great hospitality. By the time its curtain, the room is energized. The space’s intimacy is welcoming. Artists make eye contact, share personal antidotes, jokes and stories. Personal exchanges and human connections. A sort of creative communion. An environment where we glimpse into our shared humanity. 

I have fond memories and a hard drive of images to savor. Thank you Dan, Kelley, Libby, Sally, Ellie, Michael, Matt, Josh, Bee, Jess, Jason, Nate, Dan, Tom, Ryan, Adam, Todd, David, Jeff, Nunu and the whole crew past and present. 
Onward!

Many thanks for all the great dance memories

After eight marvelous years of photographing Chicago dance, I will be closing this chapter by the end of the year as Lee and I relocate to Valencia, Spain. 

In 2013 Surinder invited me to photograph an Audience Architects opening event at The Chicago Cultural Center. This was my first dance program and an introduction to a new world of stage photography.

During this period I have photographed many events, companies and individuals. Quickly I developed a passion for dance and dance photography. I am in awe of the vibrance and life of the Chicago dance community. And honored to be able to document it. 

I’d like to thank Surinder, Heather, Phil, Gail, Bob, Lane, Gaea Lady, Shiwali, Julia, Audrey, Radia, Audrey, Julie, Mark, Jennifer, Molly, Sterling, Solomon, J.C., Emily, Jackie, Raphelle, Carlos, Brian, Tristan, Cameron, Antonia, Chicago Tap Theatre, Dance for Life, Desueño Dance, Stomping Grounds, and all those who I have encountered along this journey. 

Soon I will seek dance, performance and concert photography in Spain. 

Letting go to move overseas

With a looming departure, I finally gathered a turbo-charged motivation to create as many pieces of assemblage art as I could before leaving. One part fulfilling a personal goal, one part decluttering. Nothing like a deadline to get things done.

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

My halloween art burn with the help of Paul, June and Rich

This body of work culminated in a personal, necessary and cathartic Halloween art burn at my friends’ June and Rich’s farm. It was a Burning Man style burn. A ceremonial and emotional release as my attention changed from the past to the future. No turning back.

As Americans we tend to own a huge footprint of possessions and I am guilty as charged. For a decade and a half, I had a series of creative spaces full of materials and belongings in a couple of artists' lofts and cooperatives. In recent years, I reduced it to a storage unit with my collection of loosely organized objects and materials that I would use, trade, sell, gift and make art.

Uprooting our whole life to move was first a process of letting go emotionally of our current life. Both physical belongings and mental attachments. My first big hurdle was decommissioning this artist's life. How I would react to such a monumental change was an unanswered question that could never be predicted. The only way to answer was to do it.

All our worldly possession stored in a 5x7 locker

Simply knowing where to begin getting rid of belongings was overwhelming. In all my efforts to do this, including donations, selling, gifting, recycling and trashing, my watershed moments came when realizing my storage unit now kept our shared belongings versus my “emporium of unfinished art projects”.