Los Jardines de México
Janelle Lynch
Radius Books
English, Spanish
Text by Jose Antonio Aldrete- Haas and Mario Bellatin
Hardcover
80 pages
279 x 356 mm
2011
ISBN 9781934435311
Los Jardines de México begins with El Jardín de Juegos (Mexico City, 2002-2003), the first project Janelle Lynch made upon her move to Mexico City, where she lived for three years. Made with a 4×5 inch camera, the images, void of people, as are all of the works in the book, show the relics of a children’s playground conquered by nature and neglect.
The Donde Andaba series (Mexico City, 2005), made with a 6x7cm format camera, follows and represents a progression from the prior series in both content and form. The images juxtapose wild plant life with architecture and explore the subject of the persistence of life despite its ambient conditions.
Akna, the Mayan goddess of birth and fertility, is also believed to be a guardian saint. The photographs in this series, Akna (Chiapas, 2006), Lynch’s first with an 8×10 inch camera, are portraits of anthropomorphized tree stumps in a nature reserve, which investigate the theme of regeneration.
Lynch made the final series in the book, La Fosa Común (Mexico City, 2007), also with an 8×10 inch camera, in the functioning, century-old common grave, centrally located within the city. The photographs of vegetation in various stages of the life cycle, coupled with subtle suggestions of the setting, further the exploration of notions of loss and death that El Jardín de Juegos began in 2002-2003, while simultaneously celebrating life and its intricate beauty.
About the Artist
Janelle Lynch is an American artist whose photographs reveal an inquiry into themes of connection, presence, and transcendence
janellelynch.net
About the Publisher
Radius Books is a Santa Fe-based nonprofit organization whose goal is to make a lasting impact through our Publishing and Donation Programs.
Since founding in 2007, they have produced over 160 titles that encourage exploration and discovery—whether that journey takes place intellectually, visually, or aesthetically. They have also hosted numerous community events with artists, writers, and students all over the world, and the Donation Program has gifted over 75,000 books to libraries, schools, and arts programs in all 50 states.
radiusbooks.org
