These sculptures are unique in being both joyously colored and surprisingly macabre. Coming from the country know for celebrating the Day of the Dead, each skull is created by the Huichol people of Western Mexico. Each is made of cast resin and meticulously covered in thousands of tiny beads. The intricate patterns originate from the Huichol peoples traditional art and culture in the Sierra Madre Mountains. [Read more...]
Are you prepared for the end of the world this year? Based on the Mayan calendar, December 21st is the last day we will experience – so what better way to spend it than with your “Just in Case” end of the world kit? [Read more...]
Not everyone’s daily commute includes a comfortable air conditioned environment, morning talk radio and an office at the end. Mexican photographer Alejandro Cartagena captures many of these people from overpasses near his home-base in Monterrey, just as the trucks that carry them pass under his talented lens. These workers head to construction sites, landscaping jobs and field work packed into the back of truck beds with the tools of their trade, while they catch a few last minutes of sleep before the long day of manual labor. It captures a world that many of us miss… even as they pass us on the freeway. [Read more...]
For anyone that has traveled “south of the border” into Mexico, you know that the country has an aesthetic all its own. The countries highly expressive ads, plastered on many walls around small towns and big cities, call to passerby in loud colors and bold graphics unlike anywhere else. Masked wrestlers peddle toothpaste, hand-painted signs advertise candy and some ads only makes sense if you live there. [Read more...]
Mexico is a fairly large country in the world and there are many interesting places to visit. Bordering the United States, many Americans come down to spend a weekend, week or just a night in this country so rich in culture. Many come to cruise familiar coastal cities such as Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, but there is a place that many do not know about unless they are already there. That place is called Tulum! [Read more...]
If you are into real estate and looking for a real fixer upper, check out these abandoned estates once belonging to some of Mexico’s most nasty criminals. The movies aren’t the only way we can see how infamous crime men truly reside. Over the past 6 years Mexico has seized over 114 million items belonging to incarcerated drug lords. Wanting no paper trail to their names of course, most dealers will walk into high end shops for jewelry, furniture, art, cars, exotic animals, etc., and order one of everything. Limited time and the risk of getting caught makes most of these estates look as if they were turned into a storage unit to hold anything gold, sparkling and symbolizing power. Many of the drug lords lived in extremely terrible conditions despite the luxurious first impression: the inside of some estates have been full of broken needles, trash, prostitutes and a family trying to live the life their loved one has chosen for them. [Read more...]
What’s better than a tour of the Mexican Baja Peninsula? Racing the entire length of it in classic cars at 110 miles per hour off road over a 1000 mile course… of course. The NORRA Mexican 1000 off-road rally is exactly the ticket if you like the idea of high speeds in the middle of nowhere, without support, in cars that are older than many of the competitors. [Read more...]
Just how long do people in your country live and how long do they take for retirement? Life expectancy varies from country to country as does the length we reserve towards the end. This side by side comparison reveals that Austrians can expect many free twilight years, while many Mexicans are getting none.
A long time ago in a country a lot like Mexico… computer artist John Karpinsky created a perfect mix of traditional culture and the galactic phenominon that is Star Wars. His gorgeous illustrations are so spot on it seems like this is how George Lucas originally intended them. His inspiration:
“Star Wars was a large part of my childhood, which sadly passed long ago. This is my tribute to characters of my youth, an invitation to the celebration of that cultural phenomenon that shaped my life so long ago.”
For more of Karpinsky’s work, see his flickr or purchase prints at Etsy. If you liked these images, you’ll really dig our posts “Star Wars Depicted with Traditional Mexican Art,” “The Softer Side of Star Wars” and “Star Wars: Not So Long Ago After All.”
The ongoing drug trade in Mexico has been one of the nation’s chief concerns for some time now. But the level of gruesome violence has escalated to near catastrophic proportions since President Felipe Calderon took office in December, 2006, creating virtual ghost towns as people have sought refuge in safer states. This violence has primarily been perpetrated by seven drug cartels, all of which are vying for territory and power.
[Read more...]
