The Art of Olive Groves
“At present I am working in the olive trees, seeking the different effects of a grey sky against yellow earth, with dark green notes of the foliage, another time the earth and foliage all purplish against a yellow sky, then red ochre earth and pink and green sky”
- Vincent van Gogh
Late Day Light
Donald McGuire - 2021
Arriving in Portugal’s Alentejo region, you quickly realize that olive groves are the essence of the landscape. They have been so for 2,000 years. In a fog-bound early autumn moment, however, I realized they can provide an atmospheric, painterly canvas. I came to see them differently through the changing seasons and light.
While they are clearly a staple of the economy, their form and gesture inspire me. The art, not the agriculture. I have calmly strolled through them, always taking a moment to sense how they fit within the space around them. How, even in the grove’s orderly structure, each tree is unique.
Green and Gold
Donald McGuire - 2021
I recall the first time I stepped into this space, so far removed from my early years in the canyons of NYC. Row upon row of trees reaching out to each other. It now occurs to me that they are not so unlike the grid of Manhattan’s streets as one might think.
The human eye quickly recognizes order. Comfort found. Life, quickly assessed and put in a box. The search for order extends to photography; nowhere is it more evident than in an olive grove. I suspect the order is by design, for agricultural purposes beyond my knowledge.
Soft Light
Donald McGuire - 2021
As often happens, slowing down alters the perception. The long view shows neat, evenly spaced rows of like-sized trees. However, the details can be wonderfully chaotic. Perhaps tall grass lit by the setting sun or shadows cascading across the grid. Or the softened and distant trees disappearing into fog.
A winding path can add depth to an image, but it also reminds us this is a place of work. The further you proceed down the same path, the quieter it gets. For brief periods in spring and fall, the foreground is brushed with red poppies or wild mustard.
Grove Path
Donald McGuire - 2024
Ultimately, the same inspiration calls out to us here as it does at the seaside, in woodlands, or in the forest. As the saying goes, wherever we go, there we are.
