The above images are separate pieces spread out in an underpass in Mexico City. I believe they are depicting revolution. These murals go on for a long time, but as I was heading deeper and deeper into unknown territory and i was alone, I eventually had to abandon the space. Below, you can see how they are featured on the streets:
3JAN13. Mexico City, Mexico.
Walking around downtown Mexico City the other day, I looked up and saw this cool mural taking up an entire side of a building:
3JAN13. Mexico City, Mexico.
“I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.” – the incomparable Frida Kahlo
3JAN13. Mexico City Airport (waiting to board for Caracas)
I caught some guys in the act yesterday! They never saw me.
My favorite picture in a long time, is the one directly above.
3JAN13. Mexico City, Mexico. Instagram.
Sometimes when I’m photographing things, the environments I find myself alone in are precarious to say the least. I don’t want to risk a situation where I could get mugged and my camera stolen. So, on those occasions, I use my small iPOD touch. I love Instagram and I’m finding that my latest images have required aspect touches of Sutro, Sierra, Hefe, Amaro, Mayfair, Rise, and even Nashville. I no longer just use the Lo-fi or the Earlybird. The more I work with the variety of aspects, the more satisfied I am with my photos. Now, the iPOD Touch camera isn’t nearly as good as the iPAD3’s, but again, it’s one of those situations where I don’t want to bring any attention to myself when I’m alone and not real familiar with the environment.
I sometimes do separate posts of the same image with either the Canon or the iPOD. The results are so different that you don’t realize you’re looking at the same thing or you don’t really care because the aesthetics are pleasing both ways. They are the same, but different. 🙂 I don’t like the idea of Instagram being viewed as the wicked stepsister or the lowly ‘Plan B.’ It really does provide beautiful and interesting shots, as well as allows me to keep some spontaneity by going through the ‘aspects’ and discovering the right one for that particular image.
I’ll keep working with Instagram for sure and soon will get into Hipstamatic a lot more. Hipstamatic has so many different lenses and types of films, that it takes patience to find the right combinations. But when I do get the right combo, it’s a really pleasing result. Below are some Instagram images of Mexico City:
I don’t usually do this; take pictures of homeless people, but I found this to be quite poignant and you don’t see a person. Poignant because I’m used to seeing someone just lying on a piece of cardboard, exposed to the elements, seemingly passed out, no longer self-conscious of their plight. But these, especially the one on the right, (it) has been transformed into like a little hut and the cross is placed over it, allowing these people to stake some temporary claim to shelter. This was on Avenida Argentina in Historico Centro and it was a little after 7am. The streets were still empty for the most part, so these little makeshift ‘houses’ stayed up for a little while longer. When I returned in the early afternoon, the sleeping spots were cleared and the cross was gone. It makes me imagine the people inside building them up and taking them down (with the cross) every day. And their situation is not lost on me.
Carlos Sinuhe, a 33-year old student and activist, was gunned down outside his apartment building in Mexico City in 2011. There have been no leads as to who may have shot him 11-15 times. It appears write-ups have Mexican citizens considering it another murder by a drug cartel and are getting more and more pissed off at the obvious inaction of the government and law enforcement.
“La suerte esta echada”: The die has been cast by French artist, Claire Becker
The city’s trying to go green.
Jose Parti, Cuban national hero, a prolific writer, considered a symbol for Cuba’s independence from Spain in the 19th century.
Jose Vasconcelos, a huge influence on public education and the arts in Mexico.
3JAN13. Mexico City,Mexico.
Like I’ve said, I hadn’t really slept (still haven’t and I’m in Caracas now) since Tuesday morning… and Thursday morning is when I found myself walking the streets of Mexico City, my first time ever visiting. It was all just really big cathedrals and plazas and people waking up and opening their markets…The sky was more white than blue for the most part of the afternoon…here’s what I saw and maybe in a few days (and a few sleeps) I’ll understand it.
3JAN13. Mexico City, Mexico.
First of all, I made a mistake reading my flight itinerary…still made the flight, but turns out it was so early in the morning, that I didn’t need to get a hotel or return back to Cancun for the day. I just went straight to the airport from Playa Del Carmen. So, the first picture is the view we have when doing yoga at Yoga by the Sea. I chose to do yoga over stressing out about my travel plans. Next, you’ll see that I don’t ask for much when I’m on holiday…I’m rarely in my room, so why pay for glitz and glamor? The third picture is the VIP lounge at the Cancun airport. Some turnaround, right? haha – The school that I’m freelancing for this month in Venezuela, booked my ticket for me. That was an incredible surprise. Wow, the people are different in this ‘entitled’ world, but I just sit quietly charging up all of my stuff for the plane flight and laugh a little inside at how seriously they take themselves. Adorable. And then finally, the last picture is of us arriving in lit-up Mexico City at 4am. So, again, no hotel. I just put my bag in a locker and went straight to Historico Centro to see Mexico City in all of its glory. It didn’t even get light until about 7am…so I walked very quiet streets wondering why I hadn’t waited a little longer before hopping on a bus downtown. So, still no real sleep.
I started to lie down on a bench at the airport today and no lie, a woman came up to me, stood over me and with the sweetest smile, asked me if I could have an 8-minute conversation in English with her son. Not 9, Not 10. Eight minutes. They showed me papers and everything explaining that this was a school project he needed to do. So up I sat and talked to him for 8 minutes about music. He likes Guns and Roses, if you’re wondering. Even though they haven’t existed in 20 years. And he couldn’t have been more than 15. Oh, and did I mention she recorded me on a digital camera? I KNOW I looked awesome after being so sleep deprived. I KNOW I did. You don’t even have to say.
So, I don’t know. Sleep or no sleep. I still have tomorrow to get a bed (after over 48 hours without one.) 🙂
I had some time at the airport today and came upon a cool-looking sculpture, so I took a picture of it. Then I saw another sculpture, but designed differently. Then another one and another one and so on.They’re scattered throughout the Mexico City Airport (Benito Juarez International.) I decided to research it and have discovered that it’s the work of artist Jeremy Penn, or at least led by him, but other artists were invited to design their own Pakal. You can read more about it here, http://www.jeremypenn.com/2012/11/an-exhibition-of-mayan-sculptures-adorn-the-worlds-airports/ but I can say that Pakal was a Mayan emperor in Pelenque from 603-683 AD and he was 12 years old when he became king. The pictures were all taken using some aspect of Instagram.
3JAN13. Mexico City, Mexico.
This is a work obviously commissioned to honor the 25th anniversary of a museum. Very colorful. I wonder how much time it took? Because it’s a long wall and one continuous theme.
full wall perspective:
piece by piece from right to left:
3JAN13. Mexico City, Mexico.
“Are you talking to me?”
3JAN13. Mexico City, Mexico.
