GET CLOSER IF YOU CAN

My travelings stem from an inclination towards a nomadic existence, and a sense of resistance against an oppressive social environment which has become untenable. It is partially these reasons, which played a big role in my decision to move to New York in the 80s and later drove me to Mexico in the 90s. These movements form the backbone of my work.

The images, part of Get Closer if You Can are crucial bits of this common thread and were produced during several trips to Mexico. All of these shots are a journey through the underworld, a hidden thread that embroiders the encounters with people and my own personal experience, a string that traces my perception of the world. These shots do not show particularly important or significant events, but rather the apparent banality of everyday life, its rhythms glimpsed through domestic life, private encounters, religious festivals, and street life.

Photography for me is never a plea bargain to negotiate the “proper distance”. I get closer to grasp, to perceive the “bare life” at the emotional core of the world that surrounds us. And by “close” I do not intend to violate or intrude, but rather to be part of the experience, from an emotional perspective, without forgetting the role of the photographer.