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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty One: Interpreting cultural festivals -- Mexico’s Day of the Dead > Twilight, The Day of The Dead, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 2005
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02-NOV-2005

Twilight, The Day of The Dead, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 2005

A late afternoon sun backlights and abstracts an enormous wreath rising above the flowers covering the graves around it. Soon twilight will fall, and thousands of candles will carry the celebration forward into the long night. To visit Mexico on The Day of The Dead is a fascinating and insightful cultural experience. And visiting San Miguel de Allende for this event is a unique and unforgettable travel experience. Photographing it was a challenge – there are so many aspects that needed to be included and somehow defined photographically. Travel photographers face similar issues when shooting any festival, holiday, or celebration. By abstracting this scene, I try to reduce the emphasis on the religious symbolism, and instead stress the commemorative and spiritual aspects of the holiday. It makes an effective closing image, because it leaves so much room for the imagination of the viewer. Ultimately, it is the human imagination that must carry the biggest load on The Day of the Dead, one of the world’s most intensely personal yet public celebrations.

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Phil Douglis25-Nov-2005 22:10
Thanks, Mia, for talking about the symbolism of white as well as black. You are right on all counts. White is a mourning color in some countries. Widows wear white. But so do brides. Both black and white share a common trait: no color. And because they have no color, they can regarded as symbolizing a void. You are right. Ghosts in American have usually been portrayed in white, yet witches are often shown wearing black. I am glad we are in agreement on this. Death, mystery, evil, and void -- all are expressed well by darkness. And thanks for letting me know you are not a student and not American or Mexican. Can you give me some idea of who you are and where you live so I can put your wonderful comments into some kind of context? Thanks, Mia.
Mia 25-Nov-2005 20:31
No Phil, I am not a student and I am not American (or Mexican), which may explain why I did not know about the symbolism of the wreath of honour - I know about the Christmas wreath though! Thanks for the insight and the opportunity to find out.
Regarding the use of black, you certainly know from your travels that in some Eastern countries the colour used for death and mourning is white. Aren't American ghosts usually represented in white? In parts of Africa, spirits and dead ancestors are seen as white, which explains why, according to the legend, Europeans were intially welcomed with open arms. But I am like you, I see death as black.
Phil Douglis25-Nov-2005 19:07
Yes, Mia. Black is a metaphor for the unknown, the mysterious, and at times can be interpreted as evil, as in the term "The Prince of Darkness" to describe the devil. The wreath of honor is a symbol of remembrance. A circle of flowers, placed on graves to honor the memory of those who have died. You are right -- wreaths of honor are often used to remember those who died in war. I am glad my picture and comment inspired you to do some research. Are you a student?
Mia 24-Nov-2005 22:34
Thanks Phil for the explanation. Do you think we see death as black because of the unknown that follows? Also, I wondered what that circle was until you mentioned the wreath of honour, something I am not familiar with. That's why I saw it as a big hoop. We can see how our personal experiences make us interpret pictures in different ways. I found out on the Internet that it is a sort of memorial to soldiers and victims of wars. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
Phil Douglis15-Nov-2005 23:34
A hoop through which we jump into another world! What a fascinating metaphor, Mia. To die is inevitable, as you say. This image is largely black, just as I imagine death must be. The symbols of religious belief and the wreath of honor represent ways of dealing with death. I made the image because of the way it works on the imagination.
It speaks simultaneously of life and death, as they relate to each other and to the holiday being celebrated in these images. Thank you for making this observation.
Mia 15-Nov-2005 23:13
This picture reminds us dramatically that nobody escapes death. It is as if the big circle is a hoop to jump into another world. There is a mysterious side to death and life after death for those who believe in it.
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