#EduardoSoutadeMoura #Porto Highrise #Pritzker Prize
Walter Cronkite, Anthony Bourdain, Sinbad and Antoine de Saint-Expuéry unwittingly influenced my visions for tomorrow: “You Are There” is sort of my raison d’etre to make pictures. I always wanted to be where there was. For decades I have wanted to offer my voice, and my eyes to share a vision of lives and worlds not often seen.
As I was landing in Lisbon my mind was mapping out my itinerary for Europe. I dreamed that I might use a gondola to fly above Europe’s 44 countries. I wanted to see what the clouds see. I wanted to listen to Milton Nascimento’s “Ponte de Areia” echoing between the Alps. I wanted to hear the great Brazilian singer whisper “Wayne Shorter, are you there”. Yes, it would be one of many sounds that would pace my days.
I made my way to Porto, Portugal to meet with Pritzker Prize recipient Eduardo Souto de Moura. I was not emotionally or intellectually prepared for my days in Porto, nor my day with the architect.
My battle plan for capturing Europe was about to become disrupted. I was not an organized man. I wanted to be like General George Patton or Field Marshall Montgomery racing to Berlin near the end of the war. But I am not. I too was eventually heading to Berlin. But not like the two military heroes who were vying to see who would wear Darwin’s crown for the “…fittest…”
I took a deep breath and replayed Nascimento in my head. I was about to have one of the finest days a photographer could have. It has not been uncommon for an architect to say;” Maybe we can reschedule for next year”. But that is not Eduardo. He is a prince.
He knew that this visit was my first of nearly 20 stops from Portugal to Finland. So when we met at his studio, I could not have imagined his plan for the morning and afternoon. I had already for two days documented Porto for what I needed. There is always more.
We were like two dancing bears in his studio. Both of us were being more polite than the other. It was a dance that cannot be forgotten; Two great girths immobilized, yet dancing like animated bears with grace. The session was a success.
My #Portrait of #EduardosoutadeMoura
We got in his car and headed to destinations unknown. We pushed past the prostitutes. We drove past the fish mongers. We looked up at the giant neon signage for the great port wines: Sandeman, Quinta. and more. We parked in front of one of his favorite restaurants for lunch. We may have had a 10 course meal. It might have been 20 courses. But who cares how much we ate or drank. The meal and hours of conversation about architecture and desires for a future was a sensation.
From Eduardo’s Window
Apparently his scheduled plan for me was to share and endear. We drove to an apartment complex. We parked. He looked out the window of his car. He pointed to his apartment and to Alvaro Siza’s apartment and to Fernando Tavora: Three great giants under the same roof. I just wanted to organize a barbecue and invite the neighborhood. How great it was to hear how the three migrated to the same building: Became great friends. I snapped one building which three Portuguese heroes were linked like legos.
#FernandoTavaro #Eduardo #Siza The three amigos
After that we drove to two of his designs. After that he suggested that I might want to see a Rem Koolhaas music center. All the while Miles Davis could be heard on his car stereo. I have photographed Miles twice. Anything that connects people to the king of jazz is pure euphoria.
At every architectural stop he motioned me to get out and take some pictures; You should record what you see while you are here he said. So I snapped Rem, Siza and Eduardo in succession. I could feel Eduardo wondering what I might be seeing. He merely smiled when I returned to his car. His eyes asked me if I was happy. How could I not be: architecture, photography, travel, food and wine, what could be better in that moment for this photographer.
#Museudeartecontemporaneadeserralvesporto #AlvaroSiza
There were moments when I could feel the pull of my greats tasks ahead to make pictures across the continent. I had times and dates fleeting around my brain. I needed to meet my commitments.
But when I remember my day with Eduardo I sometimes wonder why I didn’t pause the earth’s rotation while in Porto. Eduardo’s world was enormous. I wanted more of it.
I had to quicken my pace. My European map was already inked. If I was going to charge across the hinterlands like Patton and Monty I would have to speed things up.
I flew to Provence for Kengo Kuma. I flew to Berlin for David Chipperfield. I took a train to Paris for Odile Decq. I managed my way to London for Grimshaw. I rested in Rotterdam for a bit before I photographed Winy Maas and MVRDV.
I think I framed more than one hundred buildings. I made one dozen portraits. I salvaged twenty images made for my book. Travels and shooting sessions are things the gods control. I was just along for the ride. It was an adventurous ride: If each one compared to my days in Porto, then I was living a dream.
All of the above names and places will follow in future posts. They are stories that I love to tell.
