July 28, 2017 Purgatory Coming back here is always different. The air that now blows over the island is extra hot, carrying with it tales of old rivalries. Manley vs Seaga, socialism vs capitalism, the people vs the country. The wind heats up still. It feels slow and dead. The last time I was in Jamaica ( two years ago) I was accosted by a group of young men while I was photographing in the Canterbury area, and was told that if I was going to shoot in the area I would have to fork over Ja$20,000 an hour, about US$200 at the time. I felt the devil's eyes watching me for the whole 60 minutes. I left after the first hour. The Tale continues. Two years later, Montego Bay boasts at least 2 shootings per day -- at least. Newspaper headlines are mostly about how bloody the Garrison (communities) are. The front pages are filled with a roll call of the latest victims. As a result I have been slow to shoot. I visited my usual beach to continue my series only to learn that "Water Bird," my assistant, was asleep on the beach when a man crept into his sleeping quarters and beheaded him. Since learning this, my heart has not felt the need to ingest this wind. Photographing has been slow. I spent three hours at a club last night talking about "how pointless" it is to help the homeless and destitute because "they don't want to work, and there are jobs for everyone in Jamaica if they want to work," a business owner said. "What kind of jobs are we talking about?" I asked. "Sweeping the streets," was the reply. All night I stayed up thinking about the answer. Whose ambition is it in Jamaica to sweep the streets? And, is that the image he has of poor people? -- Street Sweepers? This time my stay was too short. I need a week just to reorient myself to this "strange land." My thoughts do not belong here. The wind seems particularly preoccupied with the dead. #whenlivingisaprotest #montegobayportrait #fujifilmgxf50s @fujifilmx_us (at Downtown Mobay)
