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Homage to New Mexico
photos & text by Melissa Lynch
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Excerpts:
I have only spent seven days in New Mexico, but it immediately felt like home. The history, culture, folklore and deep religious tradition that exist there were enticing and refreshing to a girl who has not gotten out much.
My first day there, I was stranded at an ancient train station in a small town called Lamy. Maybe 100 people live in Lamy, but no one was in sight. I left my two suitcases (one filled with camera equipment, the other with clothes) on the outside steps of the station and explored the town. It consisted of the abandoned shells of a church and a saloon, which had been destroyed together by fire. Except for the slight wind through the trees, it was completely quiet. There was nothing to do but observe the orange soil and the natural light.
The light seems to have a longer spectrum in New Mexico -- it reflects differently. The sky is a hovering dome that appears to be within reach. It is both immense and protecting. I did not bother to follow the railroad tracks. I already knew where they went, since I had been on them for 30 hours, and was no longer interested. So I just looked at the dirt and sky.
I felt as if I had traveled to a much earlier century - until I finally came upon a man with a metal detector who reached into his pocket to lend me his cell phone.
The Catholic Church arrived in New Mexico in 1540, along with the explorers of Coronado, 80 years before the Mayflower touched the eastern shores. It is common for locals to boast that they are twelfth-generation New Mexican. Early customs have been reverently preserved. The land is rich with sacred places, miraculous stories and warmth.
These photographs are intended to pay homage to New Mexicans’ culture, and will hopefully provide insight into their history and beliefs. For me, they are a personal documentation of how it felt to move through such a blessed place.
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