David Schonauer
Peter Kuper Wednesday July 13, 2016
American illustrator and comics artist Peter Kuper is best known for his autobiographical, political, and social observations, all of which were on display in his 2015 book Ruins, a graphic novel about a married couple living in Mexico. The plot mirrors Kuper’s own life — he lived in
Oaxaca, Mexico, with his wife and daughter from 2006 to 2008, and his time there has inspired a great deal of his work since, including that in his 2009 book Diario de Oaxaca. The region has recently been the site of bloodshed amid a teacher’s movement, and, notes Kuper, his work
“might as well have been drawn last week, unfortunately.” Read the full Story >>
Julie Grace Photography Wednesday April 30, 2014
Los Angeles-based social documentary photographer (and DFLA reader) Julie Grace Immink notes at her blog that she was “born in the wagon of a traveling show” and that exploring the streets
with her camera is how she connects to the surrounding world. Last summer she was couchsurfing in Oaxaca, Mexico, and
participated in the workshop that legendary photographer Mary Ellen Mark has been giving there for 15 years; nine of
her images are featured in a book compiled from pictures made at workshop. “Street
photography is excellent in Oaxaca because the city is lively and full of color. Mary Ellen suggested that I explore Oaxaca and stray from normal and find the weird wherever I go,” notes Immink. Read the full Story >>
Alejandra López-Zaballa Wednesday April 6, 2016
Based in Mexico City, Alejandra López-Zaballa specializes in documentary photography, portraiture, and visual story telling. She studied at the London School of Photography and at the
International Center of Photography in New York and has developed stories in New York City, Oaxaca, Mexico, and Havana, Cuba. One of her documentary projects, about an orphanage in Oaxaca, was
honored in this year’s LensCulture Exposure
Awards. Her work was also featured in Discoveries PhotoEspana 2015. Read the full Story >>
By Thursday December 28, 2006
Police NavidadTwas X-mas night in Oaxaca and all through the town,not a teacher was stirring (they're in jail, not around).The graffiti of protest has been covered
with paint and police roam the streets to enforce that it's quaint.All barricades gone, tear gas dissipated,burning buses removed and encampments have faded.It's like nothing has
happened,Gov'nor Ulises pretends, no cheating, nor violence, he'll declare 'til the … Read the full Story >>
The New York Times Wednesday July 17, 2013
A typical town in Latin America features a church facing a plaza—but not the towns of the Sierra Norte region of Mexico, where photographer Jorge Santiago is from. There, instead of a plaza,
you find basketball courts. The game, introduced to the mountainous region in the state of Oaxaca some 80 years ago, took root and has become more popular than fútbol. Santiago
tells the New York Times that basketball allowed the people of the region to be different from the rest of Mexico—just how different is shown in his documentary project “Identity at
Play.” Read the full Story >>
The New York Times Friday May 4, 2018
Citlali Fabian grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico, immersed in her indigenous culture — and photography, notes The New York Times, which
features her current project, titled “Mestiza.” The series features chiaroscuro black-and-white portraits of indigenous women and girls from Oaxaca, taken with large-format cameras.
“I want to show us as we are from the inside, from the point of view of an equal, and give us a voice,” Fabian says. "My goal is to force our connections and relationships to have a strong
loud voice.” Read the full Story >>
By Friday May 30, 2008
For ages Mexicans have been the butt of jokes for their purported "Manana -- I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. Synonymous with slow service, drawn out lunches and siestas, they're said to live
their lives at a snail's pace. For a Manhattanite like myself, our move to Mexico was a potential threat - might I be forced to reduce my usual comet-like speed to … Read the full Story >>
KICKSTARTER Wednesday August 17, 2016
The Boreal Collective's annual Boreal Bash is moving to Mexico. The event, which features artist talks, group
discussions and portfolio reviews, will take place October 28 to 30 in San Andres, Cholula, Puebla Mexico. The Boreal workshop takes places October 31 to November 3 in Oaxaca, Oaxaca state. The event
is targeted at new and established photographers who are interested in documentary practice. The various programs will be relevant to Mexican photographers and the international photo community, notes
the collective. See more on the Bash’s Kickstarter page. Read the full Story >>
KICKSTARTER Tuesday August 9, 2016
The Boreal Collective’s annual Boreal Bash is moving to Mexico: The event, which features artist talks, group
discussions and portfolio reviews, will take place October 28 to 30 in San Andres,Cholula, Puebla Mexico. The Boreal workshop takes places October 31 to November 3 in Oaxaca, Oaxaca state. The Bash is
targeted at new and established photographers who are interested in documentary practice, and the various programs will be relevant to Mexican photographers and the international photo community,
notes the collective. See more at the Bash's Kickstarter page. Read the full Story >>
By
Peter Kuper Thursday June 6, 2024
Four years ago on Wednesday, March 11th I was sitting in Oaxaca, Mexico watching the State of The Union address, in which President Trump UN-reassured us about dealing with an exploding global pandemic. Though the world had suddenly tilted off its axis, Oaxaca showed no sign of this calamity. That would come months later.
Visiting Oaxaca has always felt like stepping into the past, with … Read the full Story >>
By
David Schonauer Monday September 24, 2018
Julie Cabral discovered Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2016. Cabral, a graduate of California Institute of the Arts who is based in Los Angeles, had been to been to Oaxaca many times, but it was only when she
went to visit her grandparent there two years ago that she truly saw the place. "I'd never seen how beautiful and politically charged the landscape is," she says. … Read the full Story >>
By Monday June 23, 2008
To avoid the inevitable pitfalls of returning to Manhattan this week, after a two year hiatus in Oaxaca, Mexico, I've decided to give myself a set of rules and reminders to help weather the
transition. Draw in sketchbook every day -- religiously. Left: Madre Mexico, Time Travels. Right; Buggin' Out! From Peter Kuper's sketchbook, copyright and courtesy of the artist. Avoid
peppering every … Read the full Story >>
The New York Times Tuesday April 23, 2019
No matter where they may have
migrated in search of opportunity, the indigenous people from Yalálag, in Mexico’s Oaxaca state, are bound together by ties of culture and history — ties that Mexican photographer
Citlali Fabián’s explores in her work. Fabián’s parents hailed from Yalálag, moved to Mexico City, and returned
to Oaxaca City, 90 kilometers from Yalálag. Fabián’s heritage kept her — and others — close to the cradle of her people, who descended from the Zapotecs, notes The New
York Times. Read the full Story >>
By Thursday January 24, 2008
It has been over a year since the U.S. State Department lifted its travel warning against visiting Oaxaca, Mexico. This had been a death sentence to the economy, which is largely dependent on
tourism. Hotels were empty, restaurants empty, tour buses empty, pockets empty. Flash forward to the end of last December. The streets are now full of vendors selling an explosion of colorful … Read the full Story >>
By Thursday November 1, 2007
While Halloween in the USA is already a sweet memory, here in Mexico things are still warming up for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Last year at this time, Oaxaca was exploding with a
teachers strike, federal troops were swarming over the town square and journalist Brad Will was lying dead in a morgue. This year, Oaxaca has, by outward appearances … Read the full Story >>
By
Peggy Roalf Thursday October 5, 2017
Protest art—straight from the streets and backyards of the angry, the oppressed and their supporters—is everywhere today, from museum exhibitions to talks, demonstrations and workshops.
Over time, protest art has taken shape in many different formats, materials, and methods, with woodcuts often rising to the forefront. In its most basic form, a woodcut can be made today by
anyone who can find a discarded … Read the full Story >>
By Friday May 9, 2008
I may be suffering from PDN (Pre-Departure Nostalgia) as we get closer to our stateside return from Mexico this July. Whatever the diagnosis, all my senses seem to be strangely heightened. My eyes
constantly watch for new subjects, and drawing in my sketchbook has become a daily obsession. My ears are sharply attuned to the daily parade of sounds, from the ravens that wake … Read the full Story >>
By Friday November 10, 2006
The first question I'm usually asked these days is, "What made you decide to live in Oaxaca, Mexico?" This brings to mind some dialogue from the movie Casablanca: Captain Louis
Renault (Claude Rains): "What in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca?" Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart): "My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters." Captain Renault: "The
waters? What waters? We're in the desert!" … Read the full Story >>
The Huffington Post Wednesday April 13, 2016
Mexican photographer Diego Huerta’s goal is to photograph all of his country’s indigenous groups: For the past
four years he has been working in Oaxaca state, notes the Huffington Post, which features his lovely portraits. “I was struck by all the colors and by the faces of the various delegations, and I
wanted to know where they came from,” Huerta says. “It was at that moment that I knew I had to go to their place of origin to know more about their traditions and customs and document
them.” Read the full Story >>
The Huffington Post Wednesday April 20, 2016
Mexican photographer Diego Huerta’s goal is to photograph all of his country’s indigenous groups: For the past
four years he has been working in Oaxaca state, where he witnessed the Guelaguetza, a celebration of traditional dances and costumes. “I was struck by all the colors and by the faces of the
various delegations, and I wanted to know where they came from,” Huerta tells the Huffington Post,. “It was at that moment that I knew I had to go to their place of origin to know more
about their traditions.” Read the full Story >>
