Project Statement:
My series of photographs depicting participants in the Albuquerque’s South Valley Marigold Parade began as a street photography project. As the years went by and the event grew larger I began looking deeper into the people donning the makeup and the gazes. Implementing the use of a medium format camera as I have used to record street photography in the past, it now helps me slow down the process of seeing in order to capture the true reason for every person in the front my camera wanting to pay homage to those who have left this earth. The photographs in this series serve as a reminder that those who have passed away still live within us. I have many artists influencing my approach with a camera but no one bigger the Richard Avedon and his American West project. As a Latin American photographer who spent years visiting past loved ones at the cemeteries, Day of the dead holds a special place for me and I want to remember how my ancestors lived and not how we buried them. Creating these images helps that process in keeping memories alive.
Artist Bio:
I currently work as a staff photographer for the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico’s largest newspaper where I concentrate on issues such as immigration and breaking news. Twice a week I teach a photography course at the University of New Mexico’s Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media (IFDM) department and occasionally photojournalism courses in the Communication and Journalism dept. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art and a Masters in Art Education.
