Caliente y Pegajoso

Shooting Location: Mexico Year: 2017-Present
‘Caliente y Pegajoso’ or ‘Hot and Sticky’ is a visual study on culture and design in the section of the Yucatan Peninsula once inhabited by ancient Mayans.

Marienkäfer (Ladybug)

El Castillo

Resort

Hermanos

Ceremonial Masks

Jail

Urgencias

Over seven days photographing the jungle, archaeological sites, underwater caves and small towns across the Yucatan Peninsula, I quickly became aware of the dangers exploring this part of the world.

The heat, sun, water and vipers were just a few of the natural threats. In recent days and weeks, tourists had been shot and killed by cartels on the beaches in Tulum and Cancun. Hired security equipped with automatic weapons stood at each group of umbrellas, however, during my time there, they only stopped tourists from disturbing nesting sea turtles. In an attempt to restore order, the Federales lined the two lane beach street and performed roadblocks all over the state. “El Castillo,” Chichen Itza’s iconic pyramid, is no longer climbed as a tourist fell to their death. Atop another pyramid in Coba, the Nohoch Mul, it’s easy to think about how quickly you could be at the bottom. The only reason you’ve climbed to the top is because someone has yet to die.

Knowing the location of a hospital is something thing to be mindful of on any production and I was looking out for one in my area. Walking through a small neighborhood, it found me. The exact same venom green I had seen on the snakes in the trees. I laughed to myself and recognized that this was a perfect response, rebar included.