People
Many of the Maya portraits which follow already hang on the cement block, adobe, bajareque (waddle-and-daub), and cane walls of their subjects´ homes. When a photo turns out quite well, as I believe these have, I give the subject of that photo a framed enlargement. Up until now, I have contented myself that, while my photos aren’t in any homes in the U.S. or Europe, thousands of humble households throughout the mountainsides and along the shores of Lake Atitlán do display them. Now I would like to share my photos of the Maya with a greater audience.
Within the Department of Sololá these days is a deepening sense of despair, defeat, and desperation. As things stand today, Guatemalans in general and the Maya in particular need help. In the event things get worse, however, I would have wanted you to have seen my photos. These are people who deserve our respect, admiration, and compassion. Therefore, if you ever have the opportunity to do something for the Maya, do so. They have been a little down on their luck for the past five centuries.
Maya Women
What you will notice about my photography and its recurring themes is that they are enormously female-centered. For that I don´t apologize, nor make excuse. For one thing, most Maya men wear American clothing. In every other aspect of life, as well, it is the women who preserve the traditions.
I am captivated by the warmth of the Maya mother for her children, her ability to carry far more than her own weight of firewood or coffee on her back, and her ability to do two or three things at once. Following, you will see women of more than just remarkable warmth, character, and work ethic, as if that´s not enough. You will see women, young and old, of world-class beauty and bearing as well. When the real photographers around the lake tell me how much more they know than I do, I say, “I know, but I have better models.”
Poor but happy, sisters, from Chua Chajil, Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán
This man from Pacoxom Nahualá wears the clothing of Nahualá, however, the bag (morral) he carries is mine and from Sololá.
Girl and blouse from San Pablo la Laguna
Elena, San Marcos la Laguna
Woman with servilleta on head in ,San Marcos la Laguna, Barrio 1
Life is difficult, but this woman smiles through her tears in San Marcos la Laguna
Girl with dog, San Marcos la Laguna
Mother and daughter, Santa Cruz la Laguna
Head-wraps like this lady from Santa Cruz la Laguna wears have various names, but in Santa Cruz, they call them listones.
Sisters from Santa Cruz la Laguna.
Girl from Patuya, Tzununá, Santa Cruz la Laguna
Fair of Tzununá, Santa Cruz la Laguna, May 3rd
Woman from Pajomel
Jaibalito, Santa Cruz la Laguna
Self-portrait with Clara and Clara, Jaibalito. However, look at the cheap point-and-shoot camera I used that day.
Aldea Pixabaj, Sololá
Nothing happened to her house, however 300 others fell the afternoon of May 29th, 2010 in Pixabaj, Sololá. Pixabaj. Although the Torment Agatha trashed entire sections of the town, no one died.
San Jorge la Laguna, Sololá
Sister and brother, San Jorge la Laguna
Jessica of Monte Mercedes, Aldea Sacsiguan, Sololá
Girl descending into Peña Blanca, Aldea Sacsiguán, Sololá
Farmer cleaning milpa in Sector Buena Vista, Peña Blanca. However, he also sells used electronics in the market of San Lucas to survive.
She was in her 90´s when I took this photo, but she´s now deceased, Buena Vista
Boys watching adobe dry in Sector Buena Vista.
Concepción
Woman from Xejuyú, Concepción with rainbow reflecting on her face and tzute.
Pretty girl from Los Tot, Concepción
These girls are from Chui Cumez I, Concepción, but their mother comes from Santiago Atitlán. Therefore, they wear huipiles of Atitlán.
Concepción Sololá
Bajareque home (waddle-and-daub), Chui Solís, Concepción
Boy from Chui Solís in the rainy season
Woman leaving temazcal (steam bath), Chui Solís. A temazcal isn´t always this big, but in rural areas of Concepción they are enormous.
Woman from Chui Solís with drying corn. Although the corn harveat is meager, the quality and variety of highland Guatemalan corn is superior to my Illinois variety.
Casimiro Solís of Chui Solís planting corn.
He´s been married for many years, but this man from Patzutzún, Concepción still loves his girl to death.
In major towns cement block construction replaces more rustic forms of housing. However, in the hinterland, such as in Patzutzún, Concepción, much adobe and bajareque housing persists.
Little girl from Patzutzún bidding me farewell while Grandma looks on in the background.
The same girl, pictured in the previous photo but on a different day.
This girl from Patzutzún just left school and is therefore happy.
Girl with tzute, Patzutzún
Woman from San Andrés Semetabaj seated in the weeds.
This young girl is happy to live in the Victoria, San Andrés Semetabaj. A few weeks earlier, however, she had seen the complete destruction of her birth place Panimaché Tercero, Chichicastenango at the hands of Tropical Storm Agatha.
Emily with her grand-father Evaristo Rosales in Panajachel. Her own father, Evaristo, however, died of diabetes complicated by alcohol use. He was a famous Maya priest and alcohol was therfore an occupational hazard.
Girl reflecting in Panajachel
Not everyone looks back at my camera. However, most do, including this cooperative and photogenic turkey in Santa Catarina Palopó
This woman was from Santa Catarina Palopó but is now deceased.
Sisters, Santa Catarina Palopó
Don Gaspar carrying cane, to his house in Santa Catarina Palopó. Before, they constructed many homes of cane, but today cane´s use is mostly for fencing.
Woman wearing listón in San Antonio Palopó
Aguas Escondidas is an aldea of San Antonio Palopó, but culturally it is equally related to San Lucas and to Patzún, Chimaltenango.
Little girl from Chutulul, San Antonio Palopó
This family from Tzancorral, San Antonio Palopó is united but hopelessly poor. Most men from Tzancorral have emigrated to Santa Barbara California forced out by economic necessity
Cemetery, San Lucas Tolimán
This section of Colonia San Gregorio, San Lucas Tolimán suffered heavy losses with the Torment Agatha in 2010, and therfore this house no longer exists.
Ex-indigenous queen and family, Colonia San Gregorio, San Lucas Tolimán
Sector la Palma, San Lucas Tolimán
Mostly Luqueños worked on the finca Pampojilá. However, this woman from Joyabaj, El Quiché (called a Xoya) was the exception.
These sisters Jesusa and Juana Choac lived in Colonia Pampojilá, San Lucas Tolimán but are now deceased.
The folks from Pampojilá came from San Andrés Semetabaj across the Lake. They came to the coffee finca Pampojilá a few generations ago with the original owner Manuel Diaz to work and live on the finca. The older sister Jesusa (left) cognizant of her heritage, thus wears a huipil (blouse) from San Andres.
Her home is rustic and poor, but look at how Dorcas of Aldea Xejuyú, San Lucas Tolimán smiles.
This girl is from San Martín, San Lucas Tolimán but wears a huipil of San Antonio Palopó.
Boys with chickens in Panimaquip, San Lucas Tolimán
Pretty woman at gate, in Panimaquip
Happy girls from Tzanchaj, Santiago Atitlán
Woman walking in procession in San Pedro la Laguna
Girl in window, San Pedro la Laguna
Group of women with public art of San Juan la Laguna
Wendy, of San Juan la Laguna carrying corn leaves. These can be used to feed the livestock, but more likely she will use them to wrap food.
This woman sold traditional clothing in San Juan la Laguna but is now deceased.
But what is the RCA Victor dog doing in San Juan la Laguna
Pablo from San Antonio Palopó when he lived in San Juan la Laguna. However, Pablo moved to San Pedro where he died a few years ago.
This is a birthday party, Pasaquim, San Juan la Laguna for the taller girl holding bread. However, all the celebration had was the bread. Still, they offered me some.
