Project Statement:
The annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe takes place in December throughout Mexico and ends at the Basilica in Mexico City.
My journey began on a chilly morning, just outside of Puebla on a winding, rutted dirt road leading up to the foot of the Popocatépetl volcano. At the crest of the mountain, pilgrims prepared to spend the night. Fathers, mothers and children huddled under blankets, building small fires, getting nourishment, sleeping beneath the stars, and patiently waiting for the approaching dawn so they may continue their journey. The following day, on the roads to Mexico City, the crowds of pilgrims began to swell to tens of thousands. Men, women and children with pictures and statues of the virgin strapped to their backs, marched, crawled, and offered prayers along the final few kilometers to the Basilica.
Artist Bio:
David Saxe was born in Montreal, Québec, Canada and studied fine art at l’École des Beaux Arts in Montreal. He studied with the Canadian photographer John Max for four years and participated in a number of group shows and solo exhibits in Canada before moving to the United States in 1992. He now spends his time equally between Santa Fe, New Mexico and West Palm Beach, Florida. All of his projects are self-assigned. He is represented by the Robin Rice Gallery in New York.
