Wanted: Fifth abandoned photo

Fifth abandoned photo: Huichol woman carrying bags.

Status: lost!

The fifth abandoned photo is still lost! Have you seen it?

Eighth abandoned photo: A burning plain and its metaphors

 A burning plain and its metaphors, released on: 25/11/2011.

Size: 18 x 24 cm

Frame: 20 x 30 cm

The title "A burning plain and its metaphors" is in relation to the work of two of my favortites writers, Susan Sontag (1993-2004) and Juan Rulfo (1917-1986). Sontag wrote several novels and many essays; her most famous book is a collection of essays about photography "On photography" (1977), that is one of the most important books about photography in the 20th Century. As opposed to the prolific Sontag's work, Rulfo wrote only two books, "The burning plain and other stories" (1953) and "Pedro Páramo" (1955). However, the low production of Rulfo isn´t related to his high quality as author, "The burning plain..." and "Pedro Páramo" are considered ones of the most important books in the Spanish literature.

In addition to writing, Rulfo had another artistic interest- photography. Interestingly, Sontag  loved the Rulfo's work, not only his books but also his photographies. She considered Rulfo was one of the best photographers of the 20th Century. Last year, a book showing 100 Rulfo's photographies was published and editors of the book dedicated it to the memory of Sontag. The edition work of the book started years ago when Sontag was still alive, so the editors asked to Sontag a text for the book and she accepted, however because of health problems, Sontag cancelled the task. 

I must say I didn't know about the artistic connection between Sontang and Rulfo, I knew it last year when I read the story above in a brochure of a photography exhibition showing the Rulfo´s work printed in the book. I like very much Sontag's work and Rulfo's work, they're two of my artistic gurus. So, the image in "A burning plain and its metaphors" is inspired by the work of these great artists. I took the photo many years ago somewhere in México. I was on the road and than I saw the burning plain, I was in a car with some friends but we couldn't stopping on highway to take the photo, so, I took it while the car was running fast. 

I don't think someone will pick up this photo, althought if it happens, I'll be very vey happy. And I don't think it because I left it on the place where Sontag lies. So, I'm afraid people will think it's a souvenir object for her. But it's a gift for her and for anybody who find it. We'll see, we'll see!

Seventh abandoned photo: "I have to eat that prickly pear"

I have to eat that prickly pear, released on the streets: 25/11/2011.
Size: 18 x 24 cm
Frame: 20 x 30 cm

A prickly pear, cactus fruit or tuna is the fruit of the nopal cactus. The tuna is a particular fruit because it has a peel with prickles; thus before eating a tuna, the prickles have to be removed first and the then the fruit can be peeled. The procedure has to be done carefully; without having experience, it’s easy to get prickles on the fingers. Once you have peeled it, you can eat it! It’s a very fresh fruit and it has a sweet taste. Because of its prickly peel the tuna is sometimes related to the idea that it's something that may cause damage, you have to be careful hanging a tuna. And because of its red color, also a tuna is sometimes related to the image of a heart. Thus, "I have to eat that prickly pear" is a photo about love. And that’s all.

I don’t usually like photos having a combination of black and white printing/color printing technique. I think a photo should be printed either on black and white or on color, but it shouldn’t be printed in a mix of those printing techniques. I don’t have any scientific/artistic reason to think that, it’s just I don’t like it. But I’m an adaptable and open mind person. I think that sometimes using both printing color techniques is good for the visual impact and the concept of the image. "I have to eat that prickly pear" is, for me, an example of that idea. For love and photography, adaptability is a good quality.

"I have to eat that prickly pear" is on the streets now! If you see it, please, let me know it!

Sixth abandoned photo: The juggler

The juggler, released  on: 25/11/2011.

Size: 18 x 24 cm
Frame: 20 x 30 cm

"The juggler" is a photo I took in a light festival on the streets. Of course it was at night, lots of candles were used to light the streets and also performances were presented during the night. I saw the juggler with light balls and then I saw he was in front of a heart formed by candles. I took the photo because I thought it was a poetic image. I mean, sometimes love is like a juggling act. It isn't?

“The juggler” is on the streets and I’m waiting news about it!

Fourth abandoned photo, third abandoned and lost photo!

Fourth abandoned photo: Jesús, Martha and the tesgüino.

Status: lost!

Another abandoned and lost photo...Maybe it's still very soon to get news about it and I'm so impatient! But well, I'm going outside, this time I'll take 3 photos with me and I'll see what will happen with them!

Third abandoned photo, a lost photo!

Third abandoned photo "Martha and the sacred drink"

Status: lost!

Bah oui! Here is another abandoned and lost photo! It's the third abandonded photo "Martha and the sacred drink". That's the story. Two weeks ago I was in a very nice city, a city of big palaces and classical café bars.  I liked the city because walking along the streets you see it´s a place plenty of music, sculptures, big museums and art galleries, you feel art is in the air. I thought the place was very ad hoc to leave a photo and I did it.

I left the "Martha and the sacred drink" photo because I wanted to leave an image uncommon for people there. Well, I think it's uncommon because huichol culture isn't well known around the world. Even in México people don't know about the huichol culture. For me, it's a way to show the richness of the indigenous Mexican culture. And it's an image to think about the importance of maternal cultures not only in México but also in all other countries.

Well, to date I don´t have news about "Martha and the sacred drink", but I know the photo moved of place. The explanation of that is here. I must say I have some rules to leave the photos, a rule is "Don't come back to the street I leave a photo". Although in the case of the third abandonded photo I broke this rule and I came back by chance to the street I left the photo. Everybody knows humain being has weakness and I had mine. So, I turned my head to the exact same place where the photo was last time I saw it...but the photo wasn't there! Of course I have so many questions about the chance of the photo! I mean, the photo wasn't there! Did someone take it? If someone did it, why them didn't write a comment in the blog?  Maybe the photo finder doesn't want to leave a comment, or maybe someone took it and threw it in the trash? But I know the photo moved! I know it! And that's the reason why I prefer don't go back to the place I left the photo. If I know the photo moved, I'll be desperataly waiting news about the photo! And that's a mental torture to me! Sometimes, doesn't know about something it's the best way to be calm. But I'm not calm and I want to know about the third photo!

First abandoned photo, the first lost photo!

First abandoned photo "Fighting and dancing".

Status: Lost!

Well, well, well, I left the first abandoned photo on the streets weeks ago and I don't have news about it! It seems the photo is a lost object! My head is full of questions about the end of the first abandoned photo story! Moreover, the first abandoned photo itsn't the only one lost photo! Other abandoned photos are a lost object too! Well, I think it's a good idea to show the place where I left the lost photos. I won't tell you the city I left them, but I´ll show an image with the photo such as left it on the street. To open the "Lost abandoned photos" label, here is the first image! If you have some information about the first abandoned photo, please let me know it!

Fifth abandoned photo: Huichol woman carrying bags

Huichol woman carrying bags, released on the streets: 11/11/2011.

Size: 24 x 30 cm

Frame: 30 x 40 cm

Another photo about the huichol culture! In this case itsn't a photo about the tesgüino ceremony; it's a photo I took when I visited the mountains in which the huichol villages are. I was there because a friend invited me to see a deer hunting ceremony. The deer is a god for the huichols and they hunt it  for a special ceremony. After  the huichols hunt a deer, they eat it to get blessings. The hunting happens at the valleys at mountains, the huichols camp on a valley and they walk around to look for the deer. If the animal doesn't appear soon, the searching will take several days. And if after days a deer doesn't appear, the camping will move to other valley and the deer search will continue. I tell that because I took the fifth abandoned photo while we moved a camping. I was impressed by the excellent organization to move the camping and because of the equality on tasks for women, men and children. Everybody took something to move and the camping was got up in less than 10 minutes. When I saw everybody helped to carry something, I thought I could help too. I took with me a sack of corn and my backpack, sleeping bag and tent. So, I started to walk but a few minutes later I was really tired, the sack was very heavy and it was very difficult to walk with it on me, moreover, we were walking on a rough land and it was hard to walk on it. When I was almost falling a woman of the group  helped me, she took the sack with her and put it on her head. Then she smiled to me and walked. I was impressed by her strength! After taking a breath I took her a photo. And here the photo is!

In addition to the story, I like this photo because, for me, it shows some particular elements. It talks about moving of course, moving of people, but also moving of things. Pay attention on the plastic bag in the photo, the bag the woman holds with her left hand. It's a bag comming from a multinational store. How did it arrive to the woman hand? Because, although the store is a multinational company, it doesn´t exist in México. Probably the bag went from the USA to México. Huichol people sometimes go to the USA to look for a job and live there. In the USA, they buy stuff to send to México, so, possibly that bag went from the USA to México with  things for a huichol family and it arrived at huichol lands. Well, that's my hypothesis! It's seems a logical argument for me. We live in a global world! What do you think? 

Now the Woman carrying bags photo is on the street! I'm hoping someone finds it!

Fourth abandoned photo: Jesús, Martha and the tesgüino

Jesús, Martha and the tesgüino, released on the streets: 11/11/2011.
Gelatin silver print

Size: 18 x 24 cm
Frame: 20 x 28 cm

The fourth abandoned photo, "Jesús, Martha and the tesgüino" is another image showing the tesgüino ceremony. In this image Jesús, the Martha's husband, takes a plastic bottle of tesgüino while Martha holds some objects for using in the ceremony. Using the tesgüino and other sacred objects, the couple will ask to their divinities to bless their family. The photo shows a mix of modern and traditional elements, Jesús and Martha weas traditional clothes, bracelets and necklaces, but at same time they also wear digital watches. Moreover, they are using plastic bottles, other typical object of modern life. Thus, I think the photo shows  how the indigenous family has adapted its habits to modern life, but keeping its traditions. It's occurs specially for huichol families moving from their  native villages to the city, such is the case for Martha and Jesús.

I must say I printed this photo! I sometimes work  in the dark room and although nowadays it's easier printing photos using an automatic photo lab, I prefer to print a photo by myself. That was the case for the fourth abandoned photo. So, this time the photo involved more personal work! Because of that I will be very happy is someone take it from the streets! Let's cross the fingers!

Found! Second abandoned photo!

The second abandoned photo was found on a street of Brussels!

Status: found!

I'm very happy to know the second photo was found! I must say I felt discouraged because the first abandoned photo wasn't found, I thought it wasn´t a positive sign for the beginning of the project...But then I thought that a beginning is always hard! Thus, I took it easy and decided to continue leaving photos on the street! That's the idea of this project! 

Days ago I walked on the streets of Brussels and I left the second abandoned photo. I like very much Brussels, so I enjoyed leaving the photo in that pretty city. Although at same time it was hard because I had the bad feeling of the previous failed experience. Itsn't easy to leave on the street something you like, something you did...On the street a photo is a vulnerable object, a photo on a street looks like a discarded object! It could finish in the garbage truck! For me, it's stressful thinking about that. But I always trust that someone will take the photo. In the case of the second abandoned photo, someone took it! And I enjoyed a lot when I got the post from the second abandoned photo finder, it's was great! What's very nice it's to know the photo finder likes the photo and it's also very nice to share my photos with someone who likes my work. So, I'll continue working on the project. Here I am. Thanks to the first photo finder for share his comments in the blog!

About Nino C.C.

Photography exhibition "Les Huichols, une ethnie mexicaine"

Brochure L'Aquilone, Liège , Belgium, 2011.

Nino C.C.'s photo exhibition "Les Huichols, une ethnie mexicaine"

Advertising by the Mexican Embassy in Belgium, 2011.

Culturas Populares (journal), No. 8, 2006, México.

Culturas Populares No.8, pages 16-17, "Grafitti" by Nino C.C.

Cover photo by Nino C.C., 

Culturas Populares (journal) No. 5, México, 2004.

 Culturas Populares, No. 5,  page 18,

"De la Torre Family and the tesgüino" by Nino C.C.

Culturas Populares, No. 5, page 19,

"De la Torre Family and the tesgüino" by Nino C.C.

Culturas Populares (journal) No.3, 2003, México.

Culturas Populares No.3, pages 22-23, 

"La Cosecha" by Nino C.C.

Third abandoned photo: Martha and the sacred drink

Martha and the sacred drink, released on the streets: 02/11/2011.

Photo size: 24 x 30 cm

Frame: 30 x 40 cm

Martha and the sacred drink is a photo of my portfolio about the huichol people, an ethnic group in México. Huichol people keep their old traditions and they perform many religious ceremonies during the year. Although they are very friendly people, it's very difficult to be invited for they to visit their villages or participate on their ceremonies. I have some huichols friend and I'm a very fortunate person because they are my friends, but also because they have invited me to participate in some huichol ceremonies. Moreover, I must say vey few people have chance to see a huichol ceremony. 

Eight years ago I was on a huichol ceremony dedicated to ask blessings for the family members and drinking tesgüino (teswino). Tesgüino is a corn based sacred drink, it's prepared for drinking in special ceremonies and it can be drinking during social, religious or familiar celebrations. The tesgüino is prepared during several days because corn is dried under the sun light, then it's  grinded and mixed with boiled water. After boiling, the mix is storaged in a barrel to induce fermentation. Then after days into the barrel, the tesgüino is ready to drink. Because of the fermenation, the tesgüino is an alcoholic drink, it' has a sour taste and it's a refreshing drink; I think it's very taste! Well, about the ceremony, it consisted on going to a canyon in a sacred mountain to leave religious offerings on an altar. After leaving the offerings, all people drunk tesgüino, men, women, and children, it was a social ceremony in which all family members participated. Thus, in that ceremony I took the third abandoned photo. The photo shows the moment when Martha, a family mother, drinks the tesgüino; although it's seems a simple image,  it shows a intimate moment of Martha, but also it shows an intimate moment of the huichol culture.