Mérida, Venezuela — ElEONORA GOMEZ BAS

This book gathers a collection of photos I took in the year 2000, during a trip with my then-boyfriend to the city of Mérida, Venezuela.

Located at the foot of the Andes, Mérida is known for its colonial architecture, and snow-capped mountain peaks. However, despite the incredible landscape (and delicious food!) my most distinct memory of this trip is about a phone call. Not yet equipped with today's state-of-the-art cell phones, I walked to a pay phone down a dirt road to check in with my mom. It was then that I got the news that I had been granted a scholarship to pay for my first "Paper and Book Intensive" (PBI 2000), to be held that year in Saugatuck, Michigan. During that 10-day workshop, I met a graduate of the Bookbinding program at NBSS in Boston, which I would soon apply to and attend for two years. There's just always been a magical through-line for me between this magical trip to Mérida and a move that would forever change the course of my life.

All photographs taken using Canon A1 and Canon Rebel SLR cameras, with Kodak T-MAX 400 film.