Sunday 13 January 2013

EL SILENCIO DE MÉXICO


MEXICO IN BLACK AND WHITE - Images by Michael O'Brien

Mexico is a place that embodies many of my interests and passions, however, traveling there didn't happen for me until March 1999. I'd just bought a house, so to reward myself for such an audacious move, I bought a ticket to Mexico City and jumped a plane. Traveling solo in a foreign country is always a little risky, especially if you don't speak the language that well and have lots of camera gear. Luck sometimes favours the foolish, but I believe that finding a guide is always a good idea.

My destination was San Miguel d'Allende, north of Mexico City,.....the bus, which had little TV screens playing the movie 'Alien', was packed but very clean and modern. We made a stop in the town of Carretara - certain features of the bus station spoke volumes about Mexico.....at boarding time each bus had a beautiful attendant at the door, dressed in an immaculately tailored uniform, graceful, friendly and articulate, to help us with luggage and make sure we were on the right bus. They looked like contestants for the Miss Universe contest. We loaded up the bus and continued North.

Upon arriving in San Miguel I met the most amazing guide, named Angelica Juarez. Modest, well spoken, bilingual and incredibly knowledgable, she was a godsend. One of the day trips that we went on took us to the town Guanajuato, a city founded on the immense silver vein that runs underneath it - the Valenciana mine operated for over 250 years, in it's heyday it produced about 30% of the world’s silver - the mine continues operation today. Guanajuato is also birth place of the famous Mexican artist Diego Riviera. His family home is now a museum that contains some of his early works. It was here I made the portrait of Angelica.