Rodriguez-Lopez, Omar. Hunters in High Heels. Akashic, 2025.
Reason read: This is a very overdue Early Review from LibraryThing. I think I was supposed to receive it in December or January. Nevertheless, it is here and I am glad I got to review it.
When it comes to photography books without narrative, I try not to dwell on the mystery. I am not one for trying to figure out what each picture means. I like to study the photography briefly and gauge my acceptance of them without thinking too much about the message (if there even is one). I can’t read the photographer’s mind, but after enjoying Hunters in High Heels, I came away with an understanding that Rodriguez-Lopez, as well as his subject matter, is complicated. Contrasts abound everywhere. The photography is at once obscured and detailed. Intimate and anonymous. Violent and gentle. Gritty and polished. Visions of chaotic and exhausting travel interspersed with brief moments of stolen stillness and respite. Boredom amidst busywork. Hurry up and wait. Timeless yet specifically incapsulated. The life and relationships of a touring rock band.
My favorite pictures were the ones that revealed the creative process at work. The mixing board, guitar pedals, mixed tapes, tools of the trade strewn across the floor in utter organized chaos. Drums in the shower!
Author fact: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is a member of the band, Mars Volta.
Book trivia: Steph Celaya wrote the introduction.
~*LunaSea*~ 