THE DARK IMAGE

Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico, 2000.

A collective residency, LA SEMILLA AZULE / THE BLUE SEED, produced by Boréal ArtNature and the Mexican artists’ collective, Collectivo Amate Arte y Natura: a one month journey through the tropical forests and ancient Mayan sites of Chiapas.

Of the many tombs at Palenque, one was dedicated to a woman - the Reina Roja, the Red Queen. Shrouded in mystery, scholars of Mayan history had little information about her in 2000. Fiercely drawn to this tomb in an inexplicable way, I asked permission to enter it in the early morning before the public was allowed to enter the grounds of Palenque. These images reveal something about a personal witnessing of a mysterious place with a powerful presence.