José Carlo González

Biography:

José Carlo González was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico in 1973. He holds a degree in Communications and Journalism from UNAM. He has been a photo-reporter for La Jornada newspaper in Mexico since 1997. First Prize 3rd. Photo Biennale Photojournalism in Mexico, 1998; 1st. prize 22nd. Anthropology photography contest of the ENAH (National Anthropology School), 2003; 1st. prize National Contest of Human Rights Photography, National Human Rights Commission, 2006; Gold Finalist National Geographic’s Luces de América Photography Contest, 2006. His work has been published, among others, in the following books: "160 años de fotografía en México", (Océano, Mexico 2005); "Unequal Schools, Unequal Chances", edited by The David Rockefeller Center, (Harvard, USA, 2000); "Agua, Emergencia en Puerta", edited by La Jornada (2006). He has participated in individual and collective exhibitions and he organized the project "Expofotoperiodismo", a group that promotes the work of photojournalists in Mexico City and other Mexican States.

Statement:

This portfolio is composed by three different photo- reportages:
1) The Cult to Santa Muerte (Holy Death), which is especially popular in lower-class neighborhoods and prisons in Mexico City, and in many cases, this cult to the image of Death is even stronger than the cult to some Catholic saints. This cult keeps growing due to the violence and danger prevailing in Mexico City.
2) The Easter fiestas of the Tarahumara in the towns of Norogachi, Chihuahua;
3) Workers. A photographic story of the construction workers of the 18-kilometer-long second floor of Periferico, Mexico City’s most important freeway.

These 3 reportages were made for La Jornada newspaper.