Habitus

by David Gutherz · 07/08/10

Are you suffering from imminent World Cup withdrawal? Wishing you could keep South Africa in your thoughts for just a little bit longer? Well, then, just head on over to the Jewish Museum of New York City, where you’ll find a pair of splendid exhibitions devoted to William Kentridge and David Goldblatt, two of the Rainbow Nation’s finest contemporary artists. As Josef Lelyved’s review of Goldblatt’s work emphasizes, both artists present a potent mix of art and politics that plays off our pre-conceptions and aims to shatter stereotypes. It may not be as fun as watching this Sunday’s final, but these images will stay with you long after the last highlight re-runs have stopped.

Leave a Comment

by David Gutherz · 06/23/10

Congratulations to Habitus contributor Katie Orlinsky for getting a number of her stunning photos featured in the New York Times! The upcoming issue of Habitus will be carrying a photo essay of hers on migrant workers in Mexico.

Leave a Comment

by Joshua Ellison · 03/19/10

I’m leaving Mexico City today and want to thank all my gracious hosts.

Leave a Comment

by Joshua Ellison · 03/18/10

A driver sleeps in his bus in the mid-afternoon in Coyoacán, just around the corner from Frida Kahlo’s house. Also not far from here, Leon Trotsky was bludgeoned to death by a Soviet agent in his home.

The old colonial neighborhood still has a bohemian, intellectual character. Habitus contributors Margo Glantz and Pedro Meyer both live nearby.

Leave a Comment

by Joshua Ellison · 03/17/10

Children and families spend the afternoon in the Parque España in Condesa.

Last night, I had dinner with some Mexican friends who have both lived in the States. They complained about some of the nuisances of living in Mexico City, like the constant blackouts, crime, fearsome traffic, and the numbing bureaucracy. Life would be much easier in the States, they both acknowledged, but they couldn’t imagine leaving.

The reason was simple: “In Mexico, you never feel alone.”

Leave a Comment

by Joshua Ellison · 03/16/10

Lucha Libre is Mexico’s beloved version of professional wrestling. Like so many things in folk and pop culture here, it is filled with spectacle, mischief, and a touch of death. The masks are its most potent symbol. To be unmasked is to be humiliated, a superhero stripped of his powers, emasculated.

Leave a Comment

by Joshua Ellison · 03/15/10

Today’s photo was taken at the Zócalo, the civic heart of the city and the Centro Historico. This is the site of the National Palace and Cathedral. In the late 70s, a key to its pre-Colombian past was unlocked when construction workers discovered the first remnants of the Templo Major, the ancient ceremonial city of the Mexica.

Leave a Comment

by Joshua Ellison · 03/14/10

I’m excited to be back in Mexico City, making progress on the next issue of Habitus. Over the next week, I will post more photos and share some of my discoveries and conversations. Keep checking back.

This photo was taken in Chapultepec Park, one of the most beautiful urban green spaces I’ve ever visited. I like this frame because it has a certain tough teenage swagger but is actually kind of sweet. Look at the photos behind him: this is mainly a booth for face painting kids.

Leave a Comment

by Habitus · 02/16/10

Since we featured Jason Eskenazi in our Moscow issue and in our first Habitus-produced video, the Brooklyn-based photographer has continued to win fans and earn critical attention.

Most importantly, his award-winning book Wonderland is now back on sale. He also appeared recently on NPR’s Studio 360, where he talked about working as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum. He also gave a nice, long interview with the blog A Photo Student.

When we least heard from Jason, he was already exploring a new part of the globe for his next project: he’s just back for a shooting trip to Cairo. He was also recently in Turkey, exploring his family’s Sephardic ancestry.

Leave a Comment

by Habitus · 11/18/09

We hope you enjoy our first Habitus-produced video, a profile of our friend Jason Eskenazi. Jason’s project Title Nation is featured in our Moscow issue.

Jason Eskenazi talks about Wonderland and Title Nation from Habitus A Diaspora Journal on Vimeo.

2 Comments