Dear Eduardo,
Here I am again. Thanks for the great photos of the book with all those faces of Benito Juarez. His name sounded somewhat familiar to me, but in a very remote way. I tried to find some information about him and yes: I must have heard and also read his name before. I landed in Mexico-City about nine years ago in the airport that bears his name now. I must have seen his face before on some Mexican bank notes. And I must have read about him in my travel guide in the chapter of the history of your country. I am aware now (again?) that Benito Juarez must have played a major role in Mexico’s progression towards an independent democratic nation. It impressed me to read that a Zapotec orphan sheep herd became the first indigenous president of a nation, in the 19th century! I understand he is much beloved in your country. He slipped out of my memory a bit, I have to admit though. You made me remember him, this vaguely familiar person to me.
We also have our national heroes, but I cannot think of a person who you can find statues of all over the country, the way you can find them in Mexico of Benito Juarez. I have the impression that some of our more famous national heroes have been knocked of their pedestal the last decades. When I was at school I learned about naval officers like Piet Hein and Jan Pieterzoon Coen, our greatest national heroes that brought prosperity and wealth to our nation by trading with countries in the West and the East Indies. Nowadays we are gradually growing aware of the fact that we had nothing to do in those parts of the world. We just took land that didn’t belong to us, colonized the peoples, and even massacred complete islands. Our greatest national heroes turn out to be nothing more than pirates…
fort nassau - banda neira island
When I look at all those pictures of Benito Juarez I see a great similarity in certain facial traits: the implant of the hair and the way it falls over his forehead, they all look very serious with the frowned lines between the eyes, and most of them seem to show determination, will-power. Not a person that has himself fooled around with. Undoubtedly the series as a whole shows the same person, but how different the characters can become when you put two random photos next to each other. Some paired photos might show two entirely different persons. Still, any Mexican citizen might immediately recognize Don Benito Juarez in any of the statues. I have to think of the remark our teacher spatial design made when he was teaching us to model a head in clay. He claimed that one way or the other any artist puts his own familiar personal traits into the sculpture of the model. That’s why all clay heads made by my fellow clasmates and me looked different, still showing the same person.
I will try to find the slides I made when I was traveling in Mexico for three weeks in the year 2000. I will try to find pictures I must have made for some reason. Pictures of to me unfamiliar things, made because of what I saw surpised me, or maybe enchanted me or puzzled me. Pictures that may look very familiar, nothing special to you.
Enjoy this last day of the weekend, that still is younger at your place over there.
Best wishes from a grey and rainy Amsterdam. Take care and till the next post.
Peter
banda islands ($ nutmeg and mace $)
