© Elizabeth Moreno: Close to Home

Elizabeth Moreno: Close to Earth

Elizabeth Moreno (Mexico): Close to Earth

Gallery offline – updating soon

This project documents a slice of the culture and life of the Baja California peninsula rancheros (in Mexico), focusing on the particular fusion between past and present that they experience today—a fragile equilibrium that is about to be broken by the forces of globalization.

The rancheros and their families live mainly of the land, sometimes hours away from the closest town or paved road. Descendants of Spanish settlers who were brought to the peninsula by the Jesuits in the late 1700s and the native inhabitants of the peninsula, these families have maintained their unique heritage and customs, which have been shaped by adapting to life in a rarely abundant and often inhospitable land, over centuries.

Today the rancheros and their singular sense of identity are quickly disappearing in the face of “development.” Responding to investors in a growing tourist industry or to private offers, many succumb to the pressure to sell their land on the cheap. Those that still own their land generate very low incomes for very hard work. Their efforts to give their families a better life force them to move to the city. There, they lose their modest but sustainable way of living to become part of the poor labor force that suffers from unemployment and harsh living conditions. The few who are lucky enough to study rarely return home to apply their aquired knowledge to improve their communities and to uphold their traditions.

This project was supported by Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (FONCA), Mexico.

10 thoughts on “Elizabeth Moreno: Close to Earth”

  1. Having been there it is sad to see what is happening ,but without help from the Mexican government this will carry on .Unfortunately Money talks.

  2. Extraordinario al corazón de Sudcalifornia, gracias, Elizabeth, eres una ARTISTA, no poser.

  3. Excelentes fotos captan la esencia de la vida dela gente campo y su entornoen la Baja California Sur.Felicitaciones

  4. ¡Qué buenas fotos prima! Las fotos por sí solas son muy buenas, pero además son un testimonio etnográfico invaluable, estás haciendo antropología visual de la mejor.
    Ojalá tengasmos el chance de platicar un día de estos pronto, estaría muy bien.
    Te mando muchos saludos y un abrazo, y sigue con ese gran trabajo.

    Tu primo Alberto.

  5. Excelente muestra dela vida, trabajos y costumbres de nuestra gente de campo en sud california

  6. Como siempre estan muy bonitas las fotografias y muy interesante y triste lo
    que dices acerca los rancheros. Que vida tan dura llevan. Muchos saludos y
    abrazos de tu familia de Wisconsin.

  7. Elizabeth Moreno: Hola, tengo el gusto de conocer y un cariño inmenso por tu Mamá, crecimos juntas y tuvimos vivencias extraordinarias. Ahora que veo tu trabajo, me inspira mucho cariño hacia ti también. Tu Mami se expresa tan bonito de tu persona y se hincha de orgullo cuando habla de tu trabajo y ahora sé porqué. Te felicito ampliamente.
    En una ocasión le dije a tu Mami que te pusieras en contacto con Galería Enrique Guerrero, en Polanco. Considero a Enrique el único experto ( galero) en fotografías en el DF. Trata de hacer cita con el. Es una excelente persona y sobre todo tiene el ojo para apreciar tu trabajo. Saludos y una vez mas….Felicidades.! Carmen. ( Tu cuasi Tia)

  8. Elizabeth, you paint a picture and tell a story with your photographic essay. Well done!

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