Travel Sketches of the Saint James Way by Two Artists

Abstract

The text delves into the exploration of two ostensibly contrasting approaches to graphically depicting the identical reality—the French Route of the Saint James Way, which winds through the northern region of Spain. This involves a nuanced comparison of two distinct perspectives embodied by two pilgrims who immortalize their impressions on paper: the Japanese sculptor Munehiro Ikeda (Tokyo, 1939) and the Spanish architect Luis Bergés (Jaén, 1925). Both frequently employ drawing as their graphic language of choice to convey their creative pursuits. Their documented drawings reside within separate travel sketchbooks: Dibujando en el Camino de Santiago [1] and El Camino de Santiago en España [2] respectively. This analysis of their graphic works delves into parallels, intentions, and techniques, exploring their viewpoints on the natural or artificial landscape as a backdrop, occasionally dramatically transformed by human intervention. The study affirms the intriguing possibility of representing the same journey in myriad ways, utilizing as many graphic methods as there are travelers navigating its path.