{"id":4762,"date":"2017-01-04T00:17:46","date_gmt":"2017-01-04T00:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/notofu.com\/home\/?p=4762"},"modified":"2018-10-30T02:01:56","modified_gmt":"2018-10-30T02:01:56","slug":"santa-muerte-hope-in-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/notofu.com\/new\/santa-muerte-hope-in-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Santa Muerte: Hope in Death"},"content":{"rendered":"

Disillusionment with the establishment is leading\u00a0an increasing number of traditionally religious\u00a0Mexicans to turn to what many believe\u00a0to be a Satanist cult. Though Santa Muerte<\/em>, or\u00a0\u201cHoly Death\u201d in English, is not new\u2014it has been\u00a0around for centuries\u2014only recently has its following\u00a0reached fever pitch. Also known as La\u00a0Ni\u00f1a Blanca<\/em> (The White Girl), Santa Muerte<\/em> is\u00a0hailed as a great protector by its devotees, while\u00a0its detractors claim it is a dangerous, blasphemous,\u00a0and anti-cultural cult.\u00a0British photographer Angus Fraser, whose fascination\u00a0with the relationship between death and\u00a0photography has been the subject of much of\u00a0his photographic work, has made Santa Muerte<\/em>\u00a0the subject of a book, titled simply Santa Muerte<\/em>.\u00a0Having discovered the cult serendipitously\u00a0during his travels to South America, Fraser\u00a0was so taken by the culture that he decided to\u00a0document it in depth. What resulted is a fascinating\u00a0photo book, out now on Trolley Books.<\/p>\n

Many of the photos are intimate, and show incredible\u00a0closeness to the individuals involved in this worship.\u00a0How did you gain access to private homes and locations\u00a0of worship that were featured in the photos?<\/em><\/p>\n

Over the four years I worked on the project I built\u00a0relationships with the three protagonists. Owing\u00a0to their influence and status as the main spiritual\u00a0leaders of the faith, they enabled access for me to\u00a0prisons, private homes, and businesses where devotees\u00a0were based. Enriqueta Vargas was particularly\u00a0accommodating, but all three protagonists\u00a0wanted to show Santa Muerte<\/em> for what it really\u00a0represents and avoid the usual stereotypes associated\u00a0with the cult.<\/p>\n

What have you learned about those following the\u00a0\u201ccult\u201d\u2014what draws them to it in such staggering numbers?<\/em><\/p>\n

The social issues that many Mexicans face\u00a0on a daily basis have allowed Santa Muerte to\u00a0grow exponentially. They need a saint who appears\u00a0menacing enough to oppose the issues\u00a0they face. I met many devotees and spiritual\u00a0leaders during my time in Mexico, but for\u00a0the book a decision was made to focus on the\u00a0three leaders\/protagonists who get the most\u00a0exposure both nationally and internationally.\u00a0There is an obvious visual attraction to Santa Muerte, the icon. Western society had been attracted\u00a0to the idea of the grim reaper for centuries.\u00a0Also, being a \u2018new\u2019 religion, the self proclaimed\u00a0spiritual leaders of Santa Muerte use\u00a0photography on various platforms of social media\u00a0to advertise their gatherings. Photographs are\u00a0placed on shrines of missing loved ones, deceased
\nfamily members and of individuals a devotee may\u00a0want harmed or have retribution against. The use\u00a0of photography and use of social media have enabled\u00a0the cult to become more accessible .<\/p>\n

What does <\/em>Santa Muerte mean to you?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In America and in Western media in general, Santa\u00a0Muerte is portrayed sensationally as the Saint\u00a0of the drug cartels and\/or a saint for devil worshippers.\u00a0I wanted to portray a more balanced,
\nnuanced view by recording what I saw\u2014everyday\u00a0Mexicans trying to get on with their life\u2014and\u00a0their devotion to Santa Muerte. Obviously there\u00a0are images in the book that appear \u2018sensationalist\u2019
\nbut I tried to record everything I saw from an impartial\u00a0viewpoint. I am not a believer in any particular\u00a0faith, but I am fascinated in religion for all\u00a0its wrongs and rights, and my lasting impression\u00a0of the cult is that considering all the negative\u00a0press it gets, I cannot think of a religion that is a\u00a0more welcoming religion to all the marginalized\u00a0and disenfranchised people. Devotees came from\u00a0all walks of society and I think they had generally\u00a0had enough of the violence and corruption in\u00a0their country and just wanted a saint who could\u00a0appear just as mean and menacing as life can be\u00a0in Mexico, but also loving and giving at the same\u00a0time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\nNo images attached\n

 <\/p>\n

Santa Muerte is out now on Trolley Books<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Angus Fraser’s photo book documents what some call Mexico’s death “cults.”<\/p>\n\t\t

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