torres del Paine




Torres del Paine is a national park in Patagonia, Chile. The park encompasses several mountain chains, glaciers, lakes and rivers. It is a destination for international backpackers with several trails and circuits which explore this distinctive region. The mountains have picture postcard beauty.



He took a bus from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine. The bus ride lasted 3 to 4 hours. Most of the passengers were backpackers who planned to hike a four day circuit within the park. The passengers disembarked from the bus at a relatively new mountain lodge condo style building. They then proceeded to look for the trail which would take them into the park. He only planned to spend the afternoon before returning to Puerto Natales. He followed the trail for several hours until he reached a point part way up the closest mountain where the trail began to become very muddy. At this point he decided to document his video installation and watch the other backpackers struggle up the slippery slope with their packs and walking sticks. He had a view of the entire valley surrounded by mountains. He had to return to the beginning of the trail to wait for the bus which would return to Puerto Natales. In the parking lot he noticed two Chilean Flickers sitting on a car each looking into opposite side mounted rear view mirrors. One of the flickers was pecking at its own reflection in the mirror. On the bus ride back he saw an Andean Condor, a Southern Caracara and a Patagonian Fox out the bus window.

"womanWalkingWithStrawHatOn" was video recorded in Shore Road Park, Brooklyn. It was a hot humid summer day. A middle aged woman was wearing light clothes and a broad brimmed hat to shade her eyes was walking along a path under some trees. A loop of this video was played on an ASUS 9" android tablet. The tablet was stuck in the mud resting against a bush along the trail. Backpackers trudged through the thick spring thaw mud searching for the trail among the switchbacks and water runoff which repeated up the mountain.







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