architecture

"Mexico, a resting place for the rainbow" writes essayist Elena Poniatowska in this book centered on the subject of color. What makes the wonderful photographs by Amanda Holmes special and interesting is her way of seeing through the camera lens...in close-ups and unique angles. Categorized into themes, chapter # 1 is "The New World", with the fabulous wall paintings at Cacaxtla and Teotihuacan. # 2: "People of the Sun" focuses on some beautiful churches, as well as a few walls and doors. # 3: "A Sky Blue Balcony", has close-ups of brilliantly hued walls, balconies and building details. # 4: "The Brown Madonna", has everything from church niches to marketplace candies and more muli-colored walls. # 5: "The Space of Light", on modern Mexican architecture, and the colors that bring so much warmth to its clean, stark lines...with some of my favorite combinations, like apple green and bright pink...and that deep yellow that contrasts so well with the blues and aquas.

The essays that are with these photographs are interesting and strangely poetic. At first I found the writing somewhat peculiar, then realized it's translated from the Spanish (by Aurora Camacho de Schmidt) in an almost literal manner...but once you get into the rhythm of it, is excellent.

This hardback edition seems bigger than 160 pages because of its weight, with good quality thick pages, it's a sturdy volume. This book is much more about color than it is about Mexico, and for those of us who love color, it's a satisfying volume.

Oh, this book was fun to look at. Looking at the ever so daring colored homes brings a sence of jealousy..Why can't I do that :-)but this book is for entertaining, not for educating. It has lovely photos, great colors of bulidings and walls. Text does accompany the photos mind you, if gives you a brief background to the style, but When you are going to paint your porch orange, and your stairs blue, and your walls exterior fushia, do you need an explaination?? Have some fun!

If you enjoy beautiful photography for its own sake, this book is gorgeous; but if you want to see photographs of Mexican houses, interiors and folkcrafts, save your money. A big disappointment.