STORIES OF VALENCIA
Olivia Bastin
These photographs were taken during my Integrated Year Abroad as an English Language Assistant in Valencia, Spain. ‘Auto-ethnographic’ is the anthropological term I use to describe the accumulation of personal experiences I built up over my eight months there. Yet it is almost easier to convey how I came to understand the relationship between myself and the culture there through a photographic lens, as opposed to using written intellectual discourse. Juxtaposition in my images captures the essence of the city. For instance, I saw the image of a little girl holding flowers (connoting youth and freshness) wearing a Fallas dress (an example of traditional Valencian attire) as a symbol of the thriving cultural heritage and pride of the city. The city is also captured in images featuring opposing juxtaposition.
The small, empty, wooden boats at Albufera (Spain’s largest fresh-water lagoon) not only contrast with but are entirely removed from the hustle and bustle of the country’s third largest city. Likewise, the hypnotic aura of the iconic and delicately detailed Central Market’s dome contrasts starkly with the equally captivating but startling angles of the Calatrava complex at The City of Arts and Science. Additionally, an honourable mention to the Christians versus Moors parade, which got everyone heads turning. All of these photos highlight that, despite the fact that there were many other English Language Assistants (who also probably studied Social Anthropology and Spanish), what I saw through my camera lens was of my own auto-ethnographic making. I wonder what others like me will decide to capture?
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 19.