A surreal representation of resilience and resignation.
Photographs by Russell Monk with Text by Valerie Mejer Caso
Mr. Monk is a photographer. Ms. Mejer Caso is a Mexican poet and visual artist.
SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Mexico - We Mexicans live behind masks of our own creation, even if in these portraits they are more a symbolic gesture of futility than protection.
Masks have long been a part of our cultural history, from the Lucha Libre masks to those worn for la Danza de los Viejitos, a traditional folk dance from the State of Michoacán.
They are like a garment that protects our vulnerabilities and allows us to express ourselves.
Russell Monk is a documentary and fine-art photographer. Valerie Mejer Caso is a Mexican poet, visual artist and translator. She is the author recently of the book, "Edinburgh Notebook."
