“For thousands of years we have been spinning myths of humans descending into the darkness of the underworld to reach someone or something that has been consigned to the realm of the dead, and what these narratives suggest is something seemingly paradoxical: that darkness might be a medium of vision, and that descent may be a movement towards revelation rather than deprivation.”
Guardian of the Bones
He guards the bones of those entombed in the oldest crypt in 19th century Necropolis de Colon. He makes his living between the darkness under land and the blazing light and color of the Cuban landscape above - mending crumbling ossuaries, sweeping away the dust of centuries and welcoming the occasional family come to visit their dead.
In January of 2012, I had only a few hours to explore the sprawling beauty of Havana’s massive and mysterious City of the Dead. As I hurried around a corner, I came face to face with Tati, and made the first image in this series. Time slowed and I stopped rushing. He invited me to explore his underground realm, and subsequently became my guide and muse on a photographic journey that would last more than a decade.
