(Madrid, Spain, 1935 - )
1991 (printed 2008)
Digital pigment print
25 3/8 x 38 in. (64.5 x 96.5 cm)
Collection of the Akron Art Museum
Gift of the artist and the Evelyne Shaffer Endowment for Exhibitions
2008.29
In 1991, National Geographic commissioned Meyer to do a photographic study of the Mixteca, a region of the state of Oaxaca. The Mixtecs, one of the largest ethnic groups in Mexico, live there alongside other indigenous groups. The inhabitants, almost all of whom are Catholic, are deeply religious and have a strong sense of community. In most of Meyer’s works, as is often true in documentary photography, the lighting is fairly even and primarily descriptive. In many of his Mixtec images, contrasts of light and dark become important emotional and narrative elements.