Macarena Luzi – Summer Camp 2023

Silkscreen print, edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist, unframed

Destination: Joseph, Oregon

Date: September 11 - September 15, 2023

Jaunt #099

approx. 27.5"h x 19.75"w, 70cm x 50cm

"The thing that made me feel most excited for the Summer Camp was to spend time with such amazing people. I wanted to hear their stories and learn about their practice, their past experiences and what made them who they are today, and hopefully make new friends. Being able to hang out together and cook, share a laugh, have meaningful conversations and ultimately get to know each other was something that I’ll never forget. The group was very interesting because we were similar and at the same time different in many ways. Backgrounds, education, where we're from and where we live, age. We talked about work, people we admire, things we like to do outside work, relationships, family, and so much more. A big plus was the lovely town we stayed at and the amazing nature that surrounded us during that week.

It was an amazing experience to see the others work, sketch, talk about their process and be able to do that alongside them. I was a bit anxious at first, because we didn’t know each other and I admire all of them so much, but it was really interesting and chill. I took a lot of photographs and did some sketches around what caught my attention in my new surroundings. The calmness we were surrounded by definitely impacted me. The fact that Oregon is so green and lush. I love small towns and Joseph was absolutely perfect. Small enough to feel in the middle of nowhere, but big enough to also be able to visit quaint shops and chat with the locals. It helped me to unplug my brain from the business and noise of city life and enjoy nature. That really came through in my drawings and ideas for sketches. The artwork I made for my print was largely inspired by the flora of Oregon which really caught my eye. I knew right away I wanted to reflect that on the artwork I would create after our Summer Camp. I also wanted to incorporate the surroundings of the town, the infinite mountains and green everywhere and use all that and express them in my language.”

–Macarena Luzi