I left Chile when I was 7 years old following a military coup. It was a sudden departure with no time to say goodbye or prepare myself. So in part, this work is about trying to reconnect with the land where I was born.
On October 19th 1973, 26 people were brutally executed by army troops near the mining town of Calama in the north of Chile, their bodies were then buried in the desert along the desolate road to San Pedro de Atacama. It was here that I chose as the starting point for my journey.
Travelling alone through this desolate and beautiful landscapes felt like a natural way to reconnect with my roots. To experience the land in a very primal way, hoping to absorb some of its rich and sometimes dark past. To not only see but also to feel and listen to it.
I did very little planning for this journey, preferring to immerse myself in the landscape, following an almost somnambulant path. One of the main things that struck me was the incredible sense of timelessness. Nothing grows here so there is never a sense of change or time moving on. No trace of life. It is totally still.
Selected images from Luis’s aTAcaMa series are shown below
ABOUT LUIS LAZO
Luis was born in Chile and raised in England. Lived in the south of France for nine years, before relocating to the US.
He studied Art History and Photography at Bourneville School of Art, before gaining an Honours Degree in Visual Communication from the University of Wolverhampton, U.K.
Luis began as a stills photographer on feature films, as well as shooting portraits for publications such as Harpers & Queens, The Telegraph Magazine and Premiere Magazine among others. He also photographed for fashion publications including British GQ, Twill in Paris, and So-In in Japan.
Luis has exhibited in solo and group shows in England, Holland, France and in the US.
Website: luislazophotography.com
Instagram: @luislazophoto
CREDITS
Unless otherwise stated, all words and images in this article are © Luis Lazo
PUBLICATIONS
Two new books of work have just been published by Another Place Press featuring the featured series. See link below for more details:
Luis Lazo – Atacama: There Over The Horizon & El Tatio el Hombre que Llora
EVENTS
Luis will be participating in a group arts event RAW Pop Up at The Moore Building in May.
He will also be showing some of this work at a small solo show in Books & Books in Coral Gables, Miami in June.
As well as showing some work in a group show at Umbrella Arts in July.
