Benches

When I went to Portugal in 2006, I took a picture of a bench, a specific bench that I remembered from my youth when I lived there. The bench (see above) is in Cascais, close to the beach and the walking streets lined with shops, restaurants, and bars. I spent hours and hours hanging out with my friends in that area and love going back to visit.
During the rest of my trip, I noticed the abundance of benches and sitting areas in public spaces. Enjoying the outside and spending quiet time just sitting and observing your surroundings is definitely part of the culture. I began to document the variety of benches I noticed in the area. When I returned the following year in 2007, I decided to do a more formal study of the subject. Here are some of the photos I took. I also threw in a couple of the bench at my grandma's garden in California. I'm not sure how I will use these images in my artwork yet but there's something about them and what they symbolize that I am drawn to.