Aha! Retreats

Artist Statement - Larry Cwik – The Visitor: 22 Years Photographing Mexico

The work in this series results from a cumulative total of almost six months spent photographing for this project in Mexico, visiting annually since1983, to a different large city each year, and walking a total to date of an estimated 900 miles over the years through the streets of Mexican cities, looking for images.

While in Mexico, I routinely walk 15 or 20 miles daily, letting my subconscious influence where and when I photograph.  The unusually wide range of colors, excellent light, and unusual scenes I see there inspire me.  Traveling to Mexico’s vibrant culture, very different from what I am accustomed to, may cause a temporary transformation of my psyche.  This results in seeing things in a new, fresh, way.  The images and scenes that I capture are often mysterious, simple yet enigmatic.  I look for the magical scene that can be discovered by chance.  As I speak Spanish, I can interact with the Mexican people without hindrance.

Andre Breton, a founder of surrealism, said that Mexico is “the surrealist place par excellence,” and I agree.   Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo also commented on the surreal nature of Mexico.  

Cities visited and photographed for this project to date include:  San Luis Potosi, Guaymas, Torreon, Ensenada, Mexico City, Tampico, Oaxaca, Morelia, Culiacan, Zacatecas, Saltillo, Monterrey, Zihuatanejo, Durango, Chihuahua, Veracruz, Cuernavaca, La Paz, Aguascalientes, Hermosillo, Los Mochis, Puebla, and others.

To view more of Larry's works go to http://www.fine-art.com/cwik/